“I, Too, Sing America” is a poem written by Langston Hughes. This short poem is an 18 line five stanza free verse. Each line can have its own meaning but when the piece becomes one, the literal meaning is about …oppression. Oppression was at one time a huge thing in the United States, but if one is to say it has been eradicated, one is uninformed. The author of this poem, Langston Hughes, wrote poetry in the era of oppression and so wrote a poem about it. He not only wrote about oppression itself, but about the hope he has for its destruction. This poem symbolically states people shouldn’t be judged solely based on their appearance, but on their actions and the reasoning behind those actions stated by the line “I, Too, Sing America”. Langston Hughes uses influential symbolism and a robust tone in his poem “I, Too, Sing America” to construe oppression, and his hope for its obliteration.
When reading this poem, I think the literal message that jumps out at me is oppression. In the beginning of the poem he states, “I, Too, Sing America” (1), which means to me, ‘I also support, admire, and work for the ideals of America’. He then says “I am the darker brother” (2), this made me think of oppression immediately. It is a powerful message, he supports, admires, and works for the ideals of America, but he is the darker brother. Weather he is an evil person or a dark skinned person, this is implying oppression. Lines 3-4 explain how he has to be in a diverse location when guests are over. “They send me to eat in the kitchen / When company comes”. These lines imply he is of lesser value than the guests, and the others he lives with. They are embarrassed of him, and merely hide him away.
“But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong,
To...
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...n’t have much experience with oppression, but he knew his history and sought to make works of art with it. By the age of 28, Hughes was a successful author, winning the Harmon Gold Medal for Literature. The poem uses a black man for the speaker, and addresses the general population of the erroneous of oppression.
Langston Hughes in the poem uses symbolism and a robust tone to state he not only wrote about oppression itself, but about the hope he has for its destruction. No one should ever be oppressed because of their appearance, but because of their actions and the reasoning behind them. Oppression has been around forever and will be. Anyone who beliefs and takes action for America and the American dream is a patriot, and should be treated like one.
Works Cited
http://www.shmoop.com/i-too-sing-america/summary.html
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15615
In his poems, Langston Hughes treats racism not just a historical fact but a “fact” that is both personal and real. Hughes often wrote poems that reflect the aspirations of black poets, their desire to free themselves from the shackles of street life, poverty, and hopelessness. He also deliberately pushes for artistic independence and race pride that embody the values and aspirations of the common man. Racism is real, and the fact that many African-Americans are suffering from a feeling of extreme rejection and loneliness demonstrate this claim. The tone is optimistic but irritated. The same case can be said about Wright’s short stories. Wright’s tone is overtly irritated and miserable. But this is on the literary level. In his short stories, he portrays the African-American as a suffering individual, devoid of hope and optimism. He equates racism to oppression, arguing that the African-American experience was and is characterized by oppression, prejudice, and injustice. To a certain degree, both authors are keen to presenting the African-American experience as a painful and excruciating experience – an experience that is historically, culturally, and politically rooted. The desire to be free again, the call for redemption, and the path toward true racial justice are some of the themes in their
During the 1900s, many African Americans experienced the effects of racial segregation but they still had hope, their oppression did not stop their belief for future change. In “I, Too, Sing, America”, Langston Hughes has makes it clear that he envisions change. In the beginning of the poem, he speaks of being treated differently than others in his home, making it hard to live equally. Hughes writes, “I am the darker brother, they send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes” (Line). He chooses to discuss this issue because his darker shade of skin in comparison to the other residents in his home, makes it possible for him to eat separately so that he will not be seen by the guests; this depicts segregation in his home due to race. Because of the racial conflicts that Hughes experiences, he hopes that there is some form of change in the future, where he can sit equally with others. He goes on to write, “Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table when company comes, nobody’ll dare say to me, eat in the kitchen “(Line). Hughes...
This poem is often compared to Walt Whitman’s I Hear America Singing because of the similarities of the two poems. In this poem, Hughes argues that the African American race is equal to whites. Hughes even declares that one day the African American race will be equal to whites. Hughes proclaims, “Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed-I, too, am America.” Hughes was very bold and daring when he wrote these lines in this poem. He is implying that the white people will regret what they have done to blacks. That they will be ashamed of how they treated them. Undoubtedly, this poem expresses Hughes cultural identity.
In "I, Too," Langston Hughes is obviously in conversation with the earlier poem, Walt Whitman 's "I Hear America Singing." Both poems explore the idea of American identity -- who and what is an American? What characterizes the people of this nation? The two poets, however, reach somewhat different conclusions in response to these questions.
The civil rights movement may have technically ended in the nineteen sixties, but America is still feeling the adverse effects of this dark time in history today. African Americans were the group of people most affected by the Civil Rights Act and continue to be today. Great pain and suffering, though, usually amounts to great literature. This period in American history was no exception. Langston Hughes was a prolific writer before, during, and after the Civil Rights Act and produced many classic poems for African American literature. Hughes uses theme, point of view, and historical context in his poems “I, Too” and “Theme for English B” to expand the views on African American culture to his audience members.
Because of that, his writing seems to manifest a greater meaning. He is part of the African-American race that is expressed in his writing. He writes about how he is currently oppressed, but this does not diminish his hope and will to become the equal man. Because he speaks from the point of view of an oppressed African-American, the poem’s struggles and future changes seem to be of greater importance than they ordinarily would. The point of view of being the oppressed African American is clearly evident in Langston Hughes’s writing.
Basically, I think the teacher wanted this assignment to be simple. He or she merely wanted the next assignment to be more personal, which Hughes took to that level if not beyond what was expected. From this poem I think we learn a lot about Hughes as a person, compared to some of his other works. Many of his other poems generalize the black man as an entire society, and in this poem we see the black man as Hughes himself, which to me, was very interesting.
In the line “I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen” (Hughes 2-3) is denial of a particular person due to the pigmentation of their skin. The African American race had to suffer and be treated differently because of one small detail that was out of their control. Many individuals struggled with how they were treated during this time and others let such treatment make them stronger. As seen in the following lines “Nobody’ll dare say to me, “Eat in the kitchen, then.” Hughes illustrates that the narrator is in touch with being the same as everyone else. These lines show that he knows what he deserves and he will stand up for himself. Guilt of being a certain race is not hanging over the narrator’s head unlike many others who feel defeated. This poem stands for those who see themselves equally with the ones that look down upon them. “I, too, am America” is a testament of faith in his countrymen and women to recognize and appreciate the contribution of African-American citizens.” (Lewis) shows that America should be proud of the strong ethnic mix. Hughes possessed optimism for all human beings and took a lot of pride in showing that through his
“There’s never been equality for me, nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.” Hughes quickly puts himself as the one being oppressed. His reader quickly discover that he is portraying himse...
Langston Hughes was an activist for the African-American community and made significant artistic contributions to the Harlem Renaissance throughout his career. In one of his most famous poems, “Harlem [Dream Deferred]”, he addresses the limitations and oppression of African Americans after the Great Depression. Many African Americans dreamed of equality, but often times that dream became neglected and pushed aside. In his poem, Hughes responds to a question about a deferred dream with a series of vivid similes, inquiring what happens to a constantly ignored dream.
Thesis: The poems “Negro”, “I Too”, and “Song for a Dark Girl” by Langston Hughes was written around an era of civil inequality. A time when segregation was a customary thing and every African American persevered through civil prejudice. Using his experience, he focuses his poems on racial and economic inequality. Based on his biographical information, he uses conflict to illustrate the setting by talking about hardships only a Negro would comprehend and pride only a Negro can experience, which helps maintain his racial inequality theme.
In “Let America be America again”, Langston Hughes creates sympathies through metaphor and parallel structure o show that with great economy is built above slavery, blood and tears. The poem has reflected during the old time America, African americans and people from low class has got treated very unfairly. The only people who reached the American dream were the only 1 percent of the Americans. Therefore, rest of the american has suffered a lot from the 1 percent and they gain nothing from them but just an impossible American dream. America was built up by the people who try to chase dream, freedom, equality and liberty. As a matter of fact, this statement is only able apply to the people from Europe. Actually they had already went went wait
When looking at the poem, Hughes expresses the pride that he has in his heritage and in who h...
So, the poor, colored and those of different nationalities are denied chances to succeed in keeping the traditional values. Both poems address the widespread societal issue of racism that is so prevalent in America. Hughes and Alexie seem to agree that judgment of others is the disgrace of our nation. If the color of a man's skin did not have such a great value in our society, maybe then America could be everyone's. Not just the rich white men but the immigrants, the Africans, the Indians and the poor.
The speaker never let these actions get the best of him. He decided to bide his time where he has been sent and grow stronger and work hard to obtain and enjoy all the rights that all people in the U.S. shall enjoy regardless of their race or ethnicity. As in many of his poems, Langston Hughes, takes a difficult situation and keeps an optimistic perception on the issue.