# The Night Is Beautiful explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Langston Hughes.

## What happens

A short, lyrical poem celebrating the beauty of the night sky and drawing a parallel to the beauty of the speaker's people—their faces, eyes, and souls.

## Themes in this chapter

### Racial Identity and Oppression

The poem affirms the beauty of Black faces, eyes, and souls, countering racist narratives with a proud, positive self-image.

### Resilience and Joy

Despite hardship, the speaker finds and celebrates beauty in their community, reflecting a resilient joy.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker who observes and affirms the beauty of the night and of their people.

## Key lines

> The night is beautiful, So the faces of my people.

The darkness of night is lovely, just like the dark faces of my community.

_Directly equates the natural beauty of night with the beauty of Black faces._

> Beautiful, also, is the sun. Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.

The sun is beautiful too, and so are the inner spirits of my people.

_Extends the comparison to the sun and to the spiritual essence of the community._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters/poem-the-night-is-beautiful
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters