I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.
America never was America to me And yet I swear this oath - America will be!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a disconnection from the ideal of America as it currently stands, while also stemming a hopeful determination for a better future.
In this poignant statement, Langston Hughes articulates his feelings of alienation from the American dream, reflecting on the disparities between the ideals of the nation and the lived experiences of marginalized individuals. Despite feeling that America has never truly represented him, he remains committed to a vision of a future where America lives up to its promises of equality and justice for all, embodying a blend of disillusionment and hope.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during discussions about social justice movements.
More from Langston Hughes
All quotes βMy writing has been largely concerned with the depicting of Negro life in America.
I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course. Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.
An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.
The calm, Cool face of the river, Asked me for a kiss
The only way to get a thing done is to start to do it, then keep on doing it, and finally you'll finish it.
Similar quotes
One thing that flying in space does for you is it gives you a change in perspective. We all have to live in the same place.
The wild, cruel beast is not behind the bars of the cage. He is in front of it.
From the very depth of my being, I challenge the right of any man or any group of men, in business or in government, to tell a fellow human being that he or she is expendable.
The furies are at home in the mirror; it is their address. Even the clearest water, if deep enough can drown. Never think to surprise them. Your face approaching ever so friendly is the white flag they ignore. There is no truce with the furies. A mirror's temperature is always zero. It is ice in the veins. It's camera is an x-ray. It is a chalice held out to you in silent communion, where gaspingly you partake of a shifting identity never your own.
When people begin to ignore human dignity, it will not be long before they begin to ignore human rights.
Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril.