Comparison Of I Too And I Hear America Singing
Langston Hughes wrote “I Too” as a direct response to Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing.” In effect, the differences in tone inform the overall messages of the poems. By examining the two poems, one can see how the tones exemplify what it means to be an American.
Hughes’s poem depicts a sense of isolation while Whitman’s poem gives off the sense of inclusiveness. Hughes’s poem presents a situation where the near future will allow for greater inclusion. For example he says, “Nobody’ll dare say to me ‘Eat in the Kitchen.’” This shows inclusiveness due to the time period of which Hughes lived in. During that time, African American were not allowed to eat in the kitchen while guests were around. By using this the narrator portrays a social policy
Hughes’s poem depicts a sense of isolation while Whitman’s poem gives off the sense of inclusiveness. Hughes’s poem presents a situation where the near future will allow for greater inclusion. For example he says, “Nobody’ll dare say to me ‘Eat in the Kitchen.’” This shows inclusiveness due to the time period of which Hughes lived in. During that time, African American were not allowed to eat in the kitchen while guests were around. By using this the narrator portrays a social policy