America a melting pot of different ethnicities, traditions, religions, etc. However, what does it mean to be an American? Society engraves into the minds that Americans should be wealthy, educated, and most importantly white. This description of Americans that society has is the opposite of someone of color. Langston Hughes writes “I, Too” in the perspective of African-Americans who are being oppressed, while Walt Whitman the poet of “I Hear America Singing” is viewing the opulent America. Both poems are having a similar conversation with each other about racial inequality, yet because “I, Too” and “I Hear America Singing” are speaking from two dissimilar perspective; this consequently leads each poem to see America from a different point of view. Langston Hughes has a habit of writing poems where the speaker is …show more content…
Throughout the poem, Whitman explains the diverse songs he hears in America and how each song is different; meant for the person who is singing it. However, how can Whitman “hear America singing” if he is excluding an integral part of America. Whitman states, “ I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,”(line 1) and “Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else.”(line 10). These lines further illustrate how the speaker of “ I Hear America Singing” is oblivious to those around him because he is not hearing the different songs of America. Instead, he hears what he wants to hear, which is the joyous songs of working Americans who have the ability to get jobs and make money. Although, he claims to hear America singing, he doesn’t state the songs of struggle from African-Americans or the songs where they overcame their obstacles. Whitman’s title of his poem falsifies the audience to believe that he sees America for what it truly is, even at its worst time. Despite that, he still seems to avoid mentioning the songs of
During the Harlem Renaissance, both Claude McKay and Langston Hughes developed an analysis of their time period through poetry. Each writer has a different poem but allude to the same theme. The White House by Claude McKay and I, Too, Sing, America by Langston Hughes makes a relevant comparison to the racial inequality during the 1900s. Both make a point about how White America has withheld equal rights from Blacks or Black America, making it hard for them to survive. More specifically, The White House speaks about the type of oppression being experienced during racial segregation and trying to triumph over it while I, Too, Sing, America speak about what created their oppression and envisioning change in the future.
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.
To begin, these two poems discuss racism in the United States of America towards African Americans. Both poems were written during two completely different eras. One being from 1926 while the other dates from 2014. These two poems have been written almost 100 years apart, yet this subject is still as relevant today as it was in 1926. When Langston Hughes wrote “I, Too,” in 1926, I don’t think that he would’ve ever expected that a century
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.
In, “ I Hear America Singing”, Walt Whitman uses alliteration, literal imagery, and tone to express the idea that there are many individual, hardworking workers in this country, but as a whole these people carry out the American pride. America does not only consist of one person, but it is the whole population that makes what America is today. This country is filled with fun and laughter for everyone to enjoy!
The author starts with a very clear declaration of how he hears America singing: “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,” (Whitman line 1). His intended use for the word ‘America’ wasn’t just the country itself but the American people; he also talks about hearing the different cheerful songs which these Americans are singing. In addition to this, the theme of inclusion can be observed later in the poem where he states, “The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,” (Whitman line 8). During the mid-nineteenth century, women weren’t considered part of the working class, only house-wives. He made clear to the reader that he was referring to everyone from the working class not just the men who did the hard labor but also the women who worked just as hard from their
American poetry, unlike other nations’ poetry, is still in the nascent stage because of the absence of a history in comparison to other nations’ poetry humming with matured voices. Nevertheless, in the past century, American poetry has received the recognition it deserves from the creative poetic compositions of Walt Whitman, who has been called “the father of American poetry.” His dynamic style and uncommon content is well exhibited in his famous poem “Song of Myself,” giving a direction to the American writers of posterity. In addition, his distinct use of the line and breath has had a huge impression on the compositions of a number of poets, especially on the works of the present-day poet Allen Ginsberg, whose debatable poem “Howl” reverberates with the traits of Whitman’s poetry. Nevertheless, while the form and content of “Howl” may have been impressed by “Song of Myself,” Ginsberg’s poem expresses a change from Whitman’s use of the line, his first-person recital, and his vision of America. As Whitman’s seamless lines are open-ended, speaking the voice of a universal speaker presenting a positive outlook of America, Ginsberg’s poem, on the contrary, uses long lines that end inward to present the uneasiness and madness that feature the vision of America that Ginsberg exhibits through the voice of a prophetic speaker.
Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is a vision of the American spirit, a vision of Whitman himself. It is his cry for democracy, giving each of us a voice through his poetry. Each of us has a voice and desires, and this is Whitman's representation of our voices, the voice of America. America, the great melting pot, was founded for freedom and democracy, and this poem is his way of re-instilling these lost American ideals. In this passage from "Song of Myself" Whitman speaks through his fellow man and speaks for his fellow man when his voice is not socially acceptable to be heard.
Whitman uses the action of singing the “song” while working, to prove that the only way for acceptance this community is to work hard. Anything opposite will be a disgrace. Hughes’s wrote the poem, “I, Too”, as a response to Whitman’s poem “I sing America”. The poem explains how a black man wants to join the American community as well. Hughes utilizes the word “beautiful” to illustrate that
1. In Song of Myself 15, Walt Whitman personifies “America” as its people, living, breathing and working towards the greater goal of contributing to their country. This sense of unabashed patriotism pervades Whitman’s prose. Whitman uses simple language, often a noun describing the occupation followed by a verb describing the task.
Another element that is present within Langston Hughes poem “ Let America Be America Again” is rhyme. The rhymes only seem to come into play, when the oppressed voice is in play. It also seems only to be used when talking about the issues they have faced in the country. This seems to add to the emphasis that the way they were treated is unfair, and not in line with the ideals of the country. For example, “Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Langston’s poem “I, Too, Sing America” illustrates the hope of equality, ambition and freedom of an oppressed person. Metaphors and Imagery are the main elements of the structure of this poem. Hughes used throughout the whole poem, to give us an approximate image of what an abused person goes through. People will see that he is really beautiful—nothing and no one to be embarrassed by—and they will be ashamed of their earlier behavior.
All the Americans have to work hard and he uses that to unite the people together with the one thing they have in common. By using singing to unify the people, he symbolizes pride in people’s works because the singing can be interpreted as people’s inner voice. It is a very meaningful poem that shows what it means to be an average
In the 1860 a white port by the name Walt Whitman made the poem “I Hear America Singing” during this time was its own country and was doing will too. But in his pome, theirs one word that’s repeats it’s self a lot in the poem and that’s is singing. Most ask why do that? Well if you read line 2 and 3 it says “Those of mechanics, each one singing his it should be blithe and strong, The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam” The reason he says this is because they’re happy. They could do something they love and enjoys it’s it. This is a good example of the other color people love, but other may not see the same color as Walt Whitman.
In the poem “I Hear America Singing”, the freedom for one to pursue what he or she loves is made evident through Whitman’s writing. The struggle to reach for one’s dreams in Whitman’s lifetime was challenging and took a courageous person to break free of the expectations that were set for him/her. Whitman writes: “Those of mechanics, each one singing…/The carpenter singing his as he measures…/The boatman singing…in his boat…”(lines 2,3 &5). Whitman uses repetition as he starts each line with characters singing while working, which creates an emphasis on the word ‘singing’. By repeating the statement, it