What is the mood, tone and purpose of the author in Langston Hughes' poem "Life Is Fine"?

The poem's mood is energetic and melodic by its varied refrain and repetitions but the tone displays a man's despair and optimism with the purpose to encourage readers to always persevere in desperate times. Many of Hughes' poems represent the voices of those increasingly oppressed by white Americans. Through these voices, he uses oppression to display perseverance and racial pride. For African Americans, Hughes' poetry represents their lives, that for many are less than accommodating and is a way for them to survive a white-dominated society. He encourages them to persevere even when life may become tough.
In his poem, "Life is Fine", Hughes assumes the voice of a vulnerable character who considers suicide saying that he "could've died for love-/ But for livin' [he] was born" (ll. 14-15). This voice experiences moments that they would otherwise have felt a reason to no longer continue living or accept the oppressive actions of predominantly white society. Though this voice considers suicide, he later decides that he was meant for living even if it were in a place that did not fully accept him. By adopting this voice, Hughes is able to represent the painful past and present for those experiencing racial oppression. Not only does "Life is Fine" represent the painful repercussions of racial oppression, but it also represents the need for perseverance and strength among African American communities. The realization that "Life is Fine! Fine as wine! Life is Fine!" (ll.20), represents a belief that the author has something to live for and that even though he has come close to wanting death and continues to experience life struggles, life is still good. The voice chants, "Though you may hear me holler, / And you may see me cry-/ I'll be dogged, sweet baby, / If you gonna see me die" (ll. 16-19) meaning that no matter what society throws at him, he will not give up or show weakness towards his oppressors. Not only does the voice encourage perseverance, but it shows "that survival the strength of a people who would not be denied hope" is important in the survival of African Americans in a white-dominated society (Jordan 860). By adopting the voice of such a vulnerable character, Hughes represents the feelings that those may have within the black community and is able to show them a renewed desire to live and encourage them to speak against their oppressors.


Langston Hughes's poem "Life is Fine" focuses on the struggles of a man who is dealing with heartbreak. In this poem, the man contemplates suicide by both jumping into a river and then jumping from the roof of a tall building. However, by the end of the poem, the man declares, "Life is fine! / Fine as wine!"
There is a major tonal shift in the third to last stanza in this poem. The first six stanzas focus on the speaker's despair. In the third stanza, when he's standing at the top of a building, he says, "I thought about my baby / And thought I would jump down." In addition, the speaker proclaims, "But it was / High up there! / It was high!" However, in the third to last stanza, the speaker begins with a sense of resignation, "So since I'm still here livin' / I guess I will live on." He goes on to say that life can be difficult ("Though you may see me holler, / And you may see me cry—"), but he won't give up.
The simile in the final stanza, in which the speaker says, "Life is fine! / Fine as Wine! / Life is Fine!" demonstrates the author's purpose in writing this poem. Comparing life to wine shows that life gets better as people age. Yes, heartbreak hurts and there are tons of painful moments in life, but the older you become, the easier it is to deal with.

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