Annika Park - Poetry Explication Essay

Park 1
Annika Park
A Block
Mr.Smith
13 February 2023
I Look At The World explication
“I look at the world” by Langston Hughes expresses the hardships African Americans
experienced during the Harlem Renaissance and how they should not let those hardships prevent
them from pursuing their dreams. Hughes applies anaphora when he repeats, “I look” (Hughes
1). The repetition of “I look” serves to explain how he is looking at the African American
experience, and how it is preassigned to them before birth. He looks at their lives and highlights
the lack of equal opportunity before birth then at the correlation between what his community
faces and how it needs to end. He understands that they do not need to be controlled by society
and that they should be able to live the lives they want, showing the journey African Americans
went through. Hughes built on the idea that African Americans are inherently oppressed by using
imagery when he states, “From awakening eyes in a black face—” (Hughes 2). Huges creates an
image that appeals to your sense of sight, as you imagine eyes opening on a black face. Hughes
builds on the idea of black inequality by personifying a wall when he states, “I look then at the
silly walls/Through dark eyes in a dark face—/And this is what I know:/That all these walls
oppression builds” (Hughes 5). His personification of a wall represents unfair adversity placed
on African Americans. As the wall cannot have emotions and be silly, he is giving an inanimate
object human characteristics. This helps convey Hughes' main idea that the oppressions African
Americans are facing are put on them just because of their skin color, and there is no actual
justification for them. Hughes left the lasting message that African Americans should take
Park 2
control of their lives and that society should not confine them to these unfair standards. The
oppression placed on them is inherently unfair and caused by past racism. African Americans
should be able to go after their dreams and be in a society without being oppressed. This idea
connects African American experiences during the Harlem Renaissance. This period created a
divide between whites and African Americans just because of the difference in skin color. This
leads them to fight back against it, giving them a sense of determination to gain equality and a
new social consciousness. Through his poem, Hughes exposed the reality of African American
lives while inspiring them to take control of them.

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Works Cited
Hughes, Langston. “I Look at the World by Langston Hughes.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry
Foundation,
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/52005/i-look-at-the-world.
Park 4
Poem Explication Rubric

Skill Not Foundational Proficient Advanced
Yet
Identifies the topic Identifies the topic Identifies a specific
of the poem of the poem and a theme/perspective
basic theme of the poem
Comments:
Thesis/
Theme
Includes some Includes at least 3 Includes 3 or more

specific lines from specific references specific, meaningful,
the poem, but may to lines of the poem and well-chosen
not have much that have some lines from the poem
connection to the connection to the that relate to the
theme/may be theme theme
surface-level
Evidence
May have 2 or fewer
lines from the poem
Comments:
Explains how the Explains how the Explains the effect

facts or basic details figurative language, and impact of
of the poem connect imagery, or tone of specific figurative
to its main ideas the poem contribute language, imagery,
to its or tone of the poem
Connects to basic theme/meaning and how this
Analysis context of the supports the
Harlem Renaissance Connects the theme theme/author’s
of the poem to the purpose in writing
context of the the poem
Harlem Renaissance
Park 5
Makes nuanced and

specific connections
to the context of the
Harlem Renaissance
and/or the poet’s
biography
Comments:
Some elements Heading is correctly No errors in MLA

missing or some formatted format
errors in MLA format
Pages are numbered
In-text citations are

correctly formatted
Works Cited format:

hanging indent,
MLA Format double-spaced,
alphabetized, starts
on a new page
Lines of poetry are

correctly
cited/formatted
Comments:
Shows evidence of Most quotes are All quotes are

basic proofreading correctly integrated correctly integrated
Follows organization: Fluid organization,

Conventions/ topic/thesis sentence, including smooth
Expectations integration of transitions between
evidence, analysis, evidence
and concluding
sentence Shows evidence of
careful proofreading
Park 6
Shows evidence of
proofreading
Comments:
Strengths: Good job navigating the switch between poetic analysis, and bringing in historical
points.
Improvements: You seemed to have a bit of trouble when connecting poetic devices to a deeper
meaning. This can be difficult, and will improve with time.
Grade: B+

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Park 1

I Look At The World explication

lives while inspiring them to take control of them.

Poem Explication Rubric

Includes some Includes at least 3 Includes 3 or more

Explains how the Explains how the Explains the effect

Makes nuanced and

Some elements Heading is correctly No errors in MLA

In-text citations are

Works Cited format:

Lines of poetry are

Shows evidence of Most quotes are All quotes are

Follows organization: Fluid organization,

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