Friday, May 29, 2020

Poetry Friday: Let America Be America Again

Let America Be America Again
by Langston Hughes

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed -
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

Here's the rest of this poem, as relevant today as when it was first published in July 1936.

Here's this week's roundup.

6 comments:

Mary Lee said...

Shame on us.
Shame on U.S.
Every. Single. Word.
Still true.

There's work to do. But the call to action in those last four stanzas is still filled with hope. Let's get to work.

Linda B said...

That it was written in 1936 undermines all the good intentions, doesn't it? We must do better. Thanks for the reminder, Ruth.

Donna Smith said...

We should always have hope, good intentions, and better actions.

Michelle Kogan said...

Beyond pathetic where we are, Yes "we must do better" and pull the plug from

"those who live like leeches on the people's lives, "

And
"We must take back our land again,
America!"

Thanks Ruth.

Janice Scully said...

There has been the first steps toward justice for George Floyd and his family. Thank God. We all have to pay attention, try to be better and vote.

Janice Scully said...

Just a powerful poem! Thank God there have been the first steps toward justice for George Floyd. We have to do better in America.