50-50 Analysis - Academic Mode

50-50
by Langston Hughes

I’m all alone in this world, she said,
Ain’t got nobody to share my bed,
Ain’t got nobody to hold my hand—
The truth of the matter’s
I ain’t got no man.

Big Boy opened his mouth and said,
Trouble with you is
You ain’t got no head!
If you had a head and used your mind
You could have me with you
All the time.

She answered, Babe, what must I do?

He said, Share your bed—
And your money, too

50-50
Summary “50-50” Popularity: This short poem was written by Langston Hughes, a renowned American poet, novelist, and playwright. The 50-50 poem is a remarkable literary work due to its themes of desire and isolation. It was first published in the early 20th century. That period also became known as the Harlem Renaissance, as African Americans struggled to find equal rights. The poem tells about a lonely woman who desperately wants someone in her life and is unsure about her life. She may not be worried about the consequences of choosing the wrong man. It also highlights the reality of relationships in today's world, which is mostly materialistic.
"50-50" As a representative of greed: This poem is about a lonely woman who wants someone to comfort her. She is in mourning because she has no one to be intimate with. Therefore, she longs for someone to share her bed or hold her hand. Soon, the man responds to that lady by calling her a fool. He adds that if she used her mind she could have it all the time. Upon hearing this, the lady asks what she has to do to be in a relationship. The man named 'Big Boy' takes advantage of this lady's ignorance and answers by suggesting that she share her bed and money with him. In this answer the man's intention is clearly expressed that he is interested in their material wealth and body.
Most important topics in "50-50": Greed, sex, loneliness are the main themes of this poem. On the surface, the poem portrays the dilemma of a lonely woman who wants a man to heal her loneliness. Surprisingly, she gets a husband, but he asks her to share her bed and money with him. The poem has a profound meaning as Langston Hughes alludes to the bitter reality that relationships are made in order to achieve material aspirations and sexual desires. They have nothing to do with love, sincerity, and honesty. The man's playful response clearly explains how relationships work in the world.
Analysis of literary devices used in “50-50”
Literary devices are tools that writers use to convey their emotions, ideas, and themes to make their texts more realistic and attractive to readers. Langston Hughes has employed some literary devices in this poem to show the reality of relationships. The following is an analysis of some of the literary resources used in this poem.

Consonance: The consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, the / d / sound in "Ain 'I don't have anyone to hold my hand" and the / l / sound in "I'm alone in this world, she said."
Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds on the same line in rapid succession. For example, the / b / sound in "Big Boy opened his mouth and said."
Enjambment: Defined as a thought or clause that does not end in a line break; instead, go to the next line. For example,
"If you had a head and used your mind
You could have me with you
All the time."

Anaphora: Refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. For example, in the first stanza “Nobody has nobody” is repeated to emphasize the loneliness of the speaker.
“Nobody has to share my bed,
Nobody has my hand to hold -
The truth of the matter 's
I have no husband. "

Symbolism: Symbolism is the use of symbols to denote ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that differ from their literal meanings." Bed "symbolizes sexual desires while" money "symbolizes material assets.
Images: images are used to perceive things with five senses. For example: "I am all alone in this world, she said"; "I have no one to share my bed" and "Big Boy opened his mouth and said".
Analysis of poetic devices used in "50-50"
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but some are only used in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic means used in this poem.

Strophe: A stanza is a poetic form of a few lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, each of which varies in length.
Sestet: A sesteto is a six-line stanza taken from Italian poetry. Here the second stanza is sestet.
Quintet: A quintet is a stanza of five lines in poetry. Here, the first verse is a quintet.
can be used when a friend is not thinking clearly or is not confused about his choices. Although the phrase is harsh, it could help someone to think logically and prevent them from making the wrong decisions.

“If you had a head and used your mind
, keep me with you
all the time.