Sonnet

“Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare (1609)

Johnson’s “Sonnet” uses the same sonnet form and much of the heightened language as many of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Shakespeare’s clear influence on Johnson is relevant to understanding “Sonnet.” “Sonnet 18” is among Shakespeare’s most well-known sonnets, and it contrasts well with Johnson’s poem. While Johnson’s poem is somber and focuses on the “raven-winged night” (Line 5), Shakespeare’s is upbeat and uses imagery of a “summer’s day.”

“Mother Night” by James Weldon Johnson (1917)

“Mother Night” is one of Johnson’s later sonnets. Unlike 1893’s “Sonnet,” however, “Mother Night” is written in the form of a Petrarchan sonnet rather than a Shakespearian one. Many of the themes and images present in “Mother Night” resonate with Johnson’s earlier work, but its language and imagery are much more refined than in “Sonnet,” perhaps at the risk of being stiff. Comparing the two poems reveals the youthful energy present in “Sonnet.”

“Harlem” by Langston Hughes (1922)

Langston Hughes is a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. This brief 1922 poem paints a vivid picture of the Black experience in Harlem during this time. Hughes places Harlem “On the edge of hell” and compares the slow-moving progress of civil rights with the slowly rising costs of daily essentials.