50-50 Analysis - Literary devices and Poetic devices

50-50

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

Meanings of 50-50

The poem “50-50” by Langston Hughes revolves around the conversation between a young African American lady and a man, Big Boy. She expresses her thoughts about the want of a man, and he, in turn, tells her that she could have him in her bed but with her money also. The poem demonstrates the main idea of greed, lust, and consequential exploitation of feminine vulnerability.

Meanings of Lines: 1-5

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.

This stanza presents a young woman from African American community who is all alone. This loneliness is so biting that she thinks that she is alone “in this world.” Narrating her story, she says that nobody is with her to “share my bed” or “hold my hand.” She wants to state that she has no man at all. Her situation, however, is unclear whether she is a widow, or a virgin, or a lady having no family. It is also unclear whether she has money or not, but the second stanza in which Big Boy offers her his services suggests that she is a rich lady.

Meanings of Lines 6-11

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.

This is the second part of the poem, which comprises the response of Big Boy. Big Boy here means an adult, but he could be from the African American community, as the capitalization of the initials in the first verse shows it due to the opening of his mouth, showing the enormous size associated with this community. His conversation testifies his relationship with this community through his double negative “You ain’t got no head!” he uses to tell her that she is stupid as she does not think about him present before her. She only needs to use her head to see that he could be with her “All the time” to end her loneliness. This means that he could be her husband and end her loneliness.

Meanings of Lines 12-14

She answered, Babe, what must I do?

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

These three lines present both the characters, the young lady as well as Big Boy. She calls him Babe to inquire him about the next course of action to fulfill her needs. The use of the word Babe shows her intention of having this Big Boy as her husband, but his response shows he intends to exploit her vulnerability. He knows she needs a man, and he needs money. Both need each other. Therefore, he asks her curtly that she can share her bed with him, but the condition is she would also have to share her money. The second last line shows the connotation of lust, and the last line shows the connotation of greed. Therefore, this entire conversation revolves around 50-50 shares. Yet it is a 100 percent share that goes to the man, and the lady has only his companionship in return as he would have both things; her bed as well as her money. The use of “too” is quite suggestive in this connection.

Summary of 50-50

Popularity of “50-50”: This short poem was written by Langston Hughes, a renowned American poet, novelist, and playwright. The poem 50-50 is a remarkable literary piece due to its themes of desire and isolation. It was first published in the early 20^th That period was also known as the Harlem Renaissance as the African Americans were struggling to find equal rights. The poem speaks about a lonely woman who desperately wants someone in her life and is unsure of her life. She is perhaps not worried about the consequences of choosing the wrong man. It also highlights the reality of relationships in the present world, which is mostly materialistic.
“50-50” As a Representative of Greed: This poem is about a solitary woman who wants to be comforted by someone. She mourns because she has no one to be intimate with her. Therefore, she longs for someone to share her bed or hold her hand. Soon, the man responds to that lady by calling her silly. He adds if she would use her mind, she could have him all the time. On hearing this, the lady asks what she needs to do to be in a relationship. The man called ‘Big Boy’ takes advantage of that lady’s ignorance and answers with a suggestion that she has to share her bed and money with him. Thus, this reply clearly states the man’s intention that he is interested in her material assets and body.
Major Themes in “50-50”: Greed, sex, loneliness are the major themes of this poem. On the surface level, the poem presents the dilemma of a lonely woman who wants a man to cure her loneliness. Surprisingly, she gets a man, but he demands her to share her bed and money with him. The poem bears a profound meaning, as Langston Hughes points out the bitter reality that relations are made to gain material pursuits and sexual desires. They have nothing to do with love, sincerity, and honesty. The playful reply of the man 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 lifelike and appealing to the readers. Langston Hughes has employed some literary devices in this poem to show the reality of relationships. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been stated below.

Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /d/ in “Ain’t got nobody to hold my hand” and the sound of /l/ in “I’m all alone in this world, she said”.
Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession. For example, the sound of /b/ in “Big Boy opened his mouth and said”.
Enjambment: It is defined as a thought or a clause that does not come to an end at a line break; instead, it moves over 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: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. For example, “Ain’t got nobody” in the first stanza is repeated to emphasize the speaker’s loneliness.

“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.”

Symbolism: Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal meanings. “Bed” symbolizes sexual desires, while “money” symbolizes material assets.
Imagery: Imagery is used to perceive things involving five senses. For example, “I’m all alone in this world, she said”; “Ain’t got nobody 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 a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, with each varies in length.
Sestet: A sestet is a six lined stanza borrowed from Italian poetry. Here the second stanza is sestet.
Quintet: A quintet is a five-lined stanza in poetry. Here, the first stanza is a quintet.

Quotes to be Used

The lines stated below can be used when a friend is not thinking straight or confused about their choices. Though the phrase is harsh, it might help someone to think logically and stop them from making the wrong decisions.