Many writers of past and present have attempted to bring light on the subject of racial bias and hatred. Langston Hughes has been quite successful as a voice for the African American people with many poems such as "Silhouette" and "Democracy" opposing racial violence and aggression. Through his selective yet simple choice of words, Hughes leaves open many interpretations such as a more cautious, pleading term in "Silhouette" but in a much more spirited, demanding manner in "Democracy."
When one looks at the poem "Silhouette" he or she may see a very careful and almost pleading manner as Hughes writes, "Southern gentle lady, do not swoon. They've just hung a black man, in the dark of the moon"(1738). He does not say stop tempting and flirting with the black men but uses the word "swoon" instead to soften his statement. …
