The Full Text of “Homecoming”
The Full Text of “Homecoming”
-
“Homecoming” Introduction
-
-
“Homecoming” Summary
-
-
“Homecoming” Themes
-
The Pain of Lost Love
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-8
-
-
Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Homecoming”
-
Lines 1-2
I went back ...
... up my door. -
Lines 3-4
All her clothes ...
... home no more. -
Lines 5-6
I pulled back ...
... down the bed. -
Lines 7-8
A ...
... thing I had.
-
-
“Homecoming” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
-
End-Stopped Line
Where end-stopped line appears in the poem:- Lines 1-6
-
Parallelism
Where parallelism appears in the poem:- Line 1: “I went back the alley”
- Line 2: “I opened up my door.”
- Line 5: “I pulled back the covers,”
- Line 6: “I made down the bed.”
-
Parataxis
Where parataxis appears in the poem:- Line 3: “All her clothes was gone:”
- Line 4: “She wasn't home no more.”
- Line 5: “I pulled back the covers,”
- Line 6: “I made down the bed.”
-
-
“Homecoming” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Alley
- Made Down the Bed
-
(Location in poem: Line 1: “I went back the alley”)
-
Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Homecoming”
-
Form
-
Meter
-
Rhyme Scheme
-
-
“Homecoming” Speaker
-
-
“Homecoming” Setting
-
-
Literary and Historical Context of “Homecoming”
-
-
More “Homecoming” Resources
-
External Resources
-
Hughes's Life and Work — Read a short biography of Hughes from the Poetry Foundation.
-
"The Elusive Langston Hughes" — Read an article by writer and critic Hilton Als about Hughes's careful public persona and the complex, real person behind the poems.
-
The Harlem Renaissance — Read an introduction to the Harlem Renaissance, a groundbreaking cultural movement of which Hughes was an integral part.
-
A Hughes Documentary — Watch a 2002 film about Hughes's life.
-
Jazz Poetry — Learn more about the innovate form Hughes helped pioneer.
-
-
LitCharts on Other Poems by Langston Hughes
-
