Free Literature Review On Langston Hughes' Poem "Cross"

What are the possible interpretations of the title of Langston Hughes’ poem “Cross,” and how do these interpretations affect the way we read the poem?
There are many possible interpretations for the title “Cross” of this poem. One interpretation is about the speaker’s anger that he is of a mixed racial descent. He is a “cross breed” between a white and a black race. The speaker is undergoing an identity crisis. Another possible interpretation of the “cross” is that the speaker considers being a product of a mixed race a cross or a burden. He probably considers himself like Christ who was crucified on a cross. Like Christ, he has not done anything wrong but he is suffering the consequences of not being of a pure white heritage or a pure black race.
The third possible interpretation of the “cross” is that the speaker is probably in a stage of his life where he is in a crossroad. He does not know whether the path that he should take is that path taken by white people or the road taken by the black people. He wonders what the future holds for him. The speaker also points out that white and black men have different lifestyles. Another interpretation of the “cross” pertains to the change in the emotions of the speaker. At the first part of the poem he feels angry at his parents, even cursing them. However, in the later part of the poem the emotions of the speaker “cross over” from hatred to that of being apologetic for feeling anger towards his parents.
The interpretations affect the way one reads the poem by feeling sorry for mulattos who might have the same feelings as the speaker of the poem. One also wonders whether it is really difficult for mixed race individuals to find their true identity and whether they have the right to be angry at their parents.