Created during summer 2012

2.  This poem talks about a civilization that had
fallen long ago. This civilization had stated “we
are the greatest city, the greatest nation:
nothing like us ever was.” It states this multiple
times, but ends up falling just like the other
nations in the end.

3.  This poem criticizes the American Dream,
which many people believe to be wealth, by
showing a very wealthy nation, falling no
matter how much money it has.

4.  In this poem, Langston Hughes talks about
how the ideal American Dream has
changed, and how he wants it to return it to the
way it was. He says: “Let America be America
again. Let it be the dream it used to be.”

5.  In “Four Preludes”, a sort of abstract way of
saying things is used. Points are implied
instead of being directly stated. In contrast to
this, “Let America be America Again” simply
states what the poem is meant to say. I believe
that this helps to make the former more
effective when getting a point across.

6.  I always thought of the American Dream as
being wealthy and free, with the ability to do
whatever you want. In “Four Preludes” it is
stated that wealth did not help the nation in
preventing its downfall. In “Let America be
America Again”, the speaker criticizes how
we have allowed the American Dream to
bring our nation to this point. These views on
the American Dream criticize what I think of
as the American Dream, which is being
wealthy and free to live life.
By Stefan Cornelius