There Was a Party for Langston

Alliteration is the deliberate repetition of sounds at the beginning of words or stressed syllables. Reynolds uses alliteration to create a rhythmic cadence to the narration. For instance, as Maya and Amiri dance, the narrator says that they “sp[i]n and slid[e], stepping and stomping and boogie boogie wiggling wild!” (48-49). This sentence alliterates with the “s,” “b,” and “w” sounds. The alliteration in There Was a Party for Langston replicates a musical rhythm, something often found in picture books.

An allusion is a reference to an object that exists outside of the text. The illustrations often contain segments of poetry that allude to the poetry of Langston, Maya, or Amiri. When the narrator relates how Langston turned the hate he received into laughter, the words “but freedom stands up and laughs in their faces” are illustrated flowing out of his typewriter and forming the word “HA” (25). While this illustration depicts how Langston made laughter like the word “HA” from his words, the words that form the word “HA” are an allusion to his poem “Freedom (3).