Every poet writes to express a certain meaning, but the means of expressing that meaning can differ significantly. Two poets that show the differences that can occur are Langston Hughes and Robert Frost. These two poets are especially interesting to compare because they are opposites in regards to how they express their meaning.

             Langston Hughes provides straightforward descriptions of real life, where the meaning is expressed in a direct way. In contrast, Robert Frost expresses meaning in an indirect way, where the meaning is below the surface with interpretation needed to uncover it. This major difference will now be described by considering several works from each poet.

             The first poem that will be considered is "I, Too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes. In this poem, Hughes describes his experiences as a black man and how he is segregated from white society. He describes this be referring to how he eats in the kitchen when there is company. He also describes how he responds to this saying, "But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong." The poem ends with Hughes describing how he will eat at the table and how people will see how beautiful he is and feel ashamed because "I, too, am America." This poem is representative of Hughes's style because it is based on a real situation as he has experienced. This poem also shows how Hughes is straightforward with his meaning. There is no underlying meaning in this poem. Instead it is right on the surface, with Hughes stating that people will be ashamed.

             The next poem that will be considered is "Madam and Her Madam" by Langston Hughes. In this poem, Hughes describes his experiences working for a woman and how hard he was forced to work. This is another setting that shows how Hughes's work is based on real life experiences. The poem ends with the narrator describing how he asked the woman is she was trying to make him a pack-horse. The woman replies that she loves him.