Question

From the poem "City" by Langston Hughes

Explain the effect of Hughes use of personification when he writes that "the city/Goes to bed."

Answer 1

Poem:

In the morning the city
Spreads its wings
Making a song
In stone that sings.

In the evening the city
Goes to bed
Hanging lights
Above its head.

The effect " the city goes to bed" of Hughes use of personification is to express himself through the city as if the city was a human. He expressed what happened at night from a different view. The lights in the city go off so he compared the city to a human because we close our eyes to go to bed/ " we go off."