As he moves upward, he gains freedom, and understanding. He is not like those around him. When the speaker is up on the hill, at school, he is with people who are more free. As Hughes says, "that's American." He seems to be saying, we are different, and "you are somewhat more free," but I can become more free. Hughes does this through learning, he is at school, he is moving upward, in freedom as well as knowledge. .
Dunbar sees his world as a painful one. He also does not want to cheapen those experiences by sharing them with the curious public. He sees the world that surrounds himself as, "vile." His views of his journey, and that of his people are revealed in his line which describes it by saying, "long the mile." This shows his view that his steps have been, and continue to be painful, his way is not an easy one. The people to whom he smiles cannot understand this depth, the torture he goes through. "Let the world dream otherwise." Dunbar wants to live his life, crying out in pain privately. He does not want to be a spectacle, subject to the world's curiosity. .
Hughes" poem gives us another perspective for dealing with the world's treatment when one is black. Hughes gives us his reaction to an assignment to "write a page, let that page come out of you." The speaker in the poem sets out to write just such a paper. He does let the paper come out of himself. Hughes was older than his speaker when he wrote this poem. The poem reflects a young black man's recognition of himself. He tells us more of himself, "I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you:" not only does he hear Harlem, but he wants to share her with those around him. .
Dunbar's poem does not share Hughes" outward truthfulness. Dunbar reserves this truth only for "Christ. . . . . .our cries to thee from tortured souls arise." Dunbar's emotion is reserved for this time, for when he cries out in prayer. Outwardly, Dunbar smiles, while, he cries out in private.
