TOW #7 - article: "Bop"

            “Bop” by Langston Hughes is a short essay about the history and significance of bop music. Hughes himself was a large part of many civil rights movements, including being a strong voice in the Harlem Renaissance. This makes him very culturally aware, therefore credible enough to speak about the importance and history of bop music to an audience of diverse people. The narrator is in the casual setting of a stoop of his friend, Simple’s, house. They speak to each other about the meaning and history of bop music. Hughes does not know where the strange sounds come from but Simple explains the history behind it to him. The music and sounds incorporated with bop music come from negroes and the sounds they made when they were brutally attacked by the police.

            Langston Hughes uses diction and the first person to convey his purpose, to educate his audience on the history and importance of bop music. The diction within this short essay is very casual, allowing for the audience to be able to easily understand and relate to what he is saying. Hughes is then able to get his purpose across more easily and meaningfully. The simplicity of the essay adds to the overall effect it has on the audience. The use of first person also allows the audience to deeply connect with the narrator. It allows the audience to put themselves in the narrator’s shoes because neither the audience or the narrator know the meaning behind bop music when the essay begins. Therefore, the audience and the narrator can grow together.

            The author’s purpose, the inform the audience about the meaning behind bop music, is successfully displayed in the essay. It takes the narrator and the audience into a relatable conversation that guides the history of the unique music in a step by step process. This allows the purpose to come off clearly and meaningfully.