Mulatto
I am your son, white man!
Georgia dusk
And the turpentine woods.
One of the pillars of the temple fell.
You are my son!
Like hell!
The moon over the turpentine woods.
The Southern night
Full of stars,
Great big yellow stars.
What's a body but a toy?
Juicy bodies
Of nigger wenches
Blue black
Against black fences.
O, you little bastard boy,
What's a body but a toy?
The scent of pine wood stings the soft night air.
What's the body of your mother?
Silver moonlight everywhere.
What's the body of your mother?
Sharp pine scent in the evening air.
A nigger night,
A nigger joy,
A little yellow
Bastard boy.
Naw, you ain't my brother.
Niggers ain't my brother.
Not ever.
Niggers ain't my brother.
The Southern night is full of stars,
Great big yellow stars.
O, sweet as earth,
Dusk dark bodies
Give sweet birth
To little yellow bastard boys.
Git on back there in the night,
You ain't white.
The bright stars scatter everywhere.
Pine wood scent in the evening air.
A nigger night,
A nigger joy.
I am your son, white man!
A little yellow
Bastard boy.
Georgia dusk
And the turpentine woods.
One of the pillars of the temple fell.
You are my son!
Like hell!
The moon over the turpentine woods.
The Southern night
Full of stars,
Great big yellow stars.
What's a body but a toy?
Juicy bodies
Of nigger wenches
Blue black
Against black fences.
O, you little bastard boy,
What's a body but a toy?
The scent of pine wood stings the soft night air.
What's the body of your mother?
Silver moonlight everywhere.
What's the body of your mother?
Sharp pine scent in the evening air.
A nigger night,
A nigger joy,
A little yellow
Bastard boy.
Naw, you ain't my brother.
Niggers ain't my brother.
Not ever.
Niggers ain't my brother.
The Southern night is full of stars,
Great big yellow stars.
O, sweet as earth,
Dusk dark bodies
Give sweet birth
To little yellow bastard boys.
Git on back there in the night,
You ain't white.
The bright stars scatter everywhere.
Pine wood scent in the evening air.
A nigger night,
A nigger joy.
I am your son, white man!
A little yellow
Bastard boy.
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Langston Hughes' poem
Langston Hughes' poem «Mulatto» is a piercing exploration of racial identity, discrimination, and the enduring struggle for acceptance. Through vivid imagery and raw emotion, Hughes paints a stark picture of the challenges faced by biracial individuals in a society marked by racial prejudice. The poem opens with a bold assertion from the speaker, declaring his lineage to a white father amidst the backdrop of a Georgia dusk in the turpentine woods. The speaker's desperate plea for recognition and acceptance is met with rejection and scorn from the white man, who denies any kinship with the speaker, dismissing him as «a little yellow / Bastard boy.» This refusal to acknowledge the speaker's humanity cuts deep, highlighting the pervasive nature of racial prejudice and discrimination.
As the poem reaches its crescendo, the speaker's voice grows more desperate, asserting his identity in the face of white supremacy. Through «Mulatto,» Langston Hughes exposes the harsh realities faced by biracial individuals in a society marked by racial division and injustice. The poem serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial equality and the importance of embracing and celebrating the diversity of human experience.
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