What I learned from this poem is the common idea that when life pushes you down you must dust yourself off and try again. Not always is life going to be sweet, but with a positive attitude anything is possible. I also thought that we as individuals must not allow for our dreams to be suffocated by anyone. If one desires something with a passion, they must pursue it. This is not the only work where Hughes" expresses his thoughts of success, but in other stories he address this idea too.
Among the many pieces of literature by Hughes", "One Friday Morning", written in 1941, is one that I along with other readers enjoy. The story involves a young black girl, Nancy Lee, whose race in the beginning we do not know. This young girl is an aspiring artist who loves art and is truly good at it. She then learns that her recent painting, which she is so proud of, wins a scholarship. Her happiness is beyond doubt at this point and as Hughes" writes, "The slender brown girl's eyes widened, her heart jumped, then her throat tightened again. She tried to smile, but instead tears to her eyes"(849). it is obvious that this young girl is excited and filled with joy. Once Nancy is aware of her scholarship presentation, she prepares a speech and arranges for her mother to be present. Finally, the big day arrives after much planning and hoping Nancy could not be more prepared. Then the upsetting news comes when Nancy is told she will not be able to receive the award because of her color. It is unbelievable to her. Questions run through her mind as to what kind of people would commit this unjust act. Then after talking to her teacher, Miss Dietrich, who is so proud of Nancy, she realizes that it's not the end of the world. With that in mind, Nancy makes a promise to try and keep this from not occurring to any of her fellow people again. And, it is when Hughes" has her saying, "This won"t keep me down.
