Question

reflection question (answer in 3—4 sentences)
why do you think langston hughes used words with strong connotations instead of more simple or neutral words?

Explanation:

Langston Hughes, a core figure of the Harlem Renaissance, used words with strong connotations to center the raw, lived experiences of Black Americans in his work, which simple neutral language would fail to capture with the same depth. These charged words allowed him to convey the pain, resilience, and quiet joy of his community, creating emotional resonance that connected readers to the realities of racial identity and struggle in 20th-century America. Additionally, his use of connotative language was a deliberate artistic and political choice, pushing back against the sanitized, dehumanizing portrayals of Black people in mainstream media and literature of his era.

Answer:

Langston Hughes used words with strong connotations to vividly capture the raw, nuanced lived experiences of Black Americans, which neutral language could not convey with the same emotional weight. These charged terms allowed him to build deep emotional resonance, letting readers feel the resilience, grief, and joy of his community rather than just reading about it. Finally, this choice was a deliberate artistic and political act, pushing back against the dehumanizing, sanitized portrayals of Black people in mainstream 20th-century media and literature.