Langston Hughes 'Poem I, Too, Sing America'
Ange Ngatchou period 3
9/12/2015
I, Too, Sing America
I too sing america was written by Langston Hughes in 1925, a time when there was an outburst of cultural, ethnical and literary creativity. The poem I too sing america was very famous not only because of when it was written but also to whom it was made for. In 1891, Walt Whitman wrote a poem called I Hear America Singing, In order to explain Hughes poem, I need to explain Whitman’s poem. As well as W.E.B du bois theory of double consciousness.
Whitman wrote this poem to show his love, respect and the honor he has for America. In his poem he refers to a mechanic, carpenter, mason, boatman, deckhand, shoemaker, hatter, and wood-cutter. He is using this workers as metaphor for the hard workers …show more content…
Hughes is using this poem to claim not only his rights as an american but also all colored men and women during the twentieth century. He start by saying, “I Too sing america” which means he is an american. Then he says “I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong.” In his first stanza, he is talking about how white men treated colored men, Hughes isn’t only referring to eating at a table with them but also at all the inequalities they had in that era referred to as segregation. Examples will be blacks and whites shared different bathrooms, water fountain and bus area. Then he laughs at segregation, and says it doesn’t affect him but it makes him stronger which means that segregation has united the colored men and women of america making them stronger. In the second stanza, he says, “Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then.” He is prophesizing an era where segregation is over, where colored men and women would have the right to speak their minds about economical or political views without being oppressed, where white people will recognize black as black americans, an era where both black and white americans work together to make America glorious. In the third stanza he says, “Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am And
9/12/2015
I, Too, Sing America
I too sing america was written by Langston Hughes in 1925, a time when there was an outburst of cultural, ethnical and literary creativity. The poem I too sing america was very famous not only because of when it was written but also to whom it was made for. In 1891, Walt Whitman wrote a poem called I Hear America Singing, In order to explain Hughes poem, I need to explain Whitman’s poem. As well as W.E.B du bois theory of double consciousness.
Whitman wrote this poem to show his love, respect and the honor he has for America. In his poem he refers to a mechanic, carpenter, mason, boatman, deckhand, shoemaker, hatter, and wood-cutter. He is using this workers as metaphor for the hard workers …show more content…
Hughes is using this poem to claim not only his rights as an american but also all colored men and women during the twentieth century. He start by saying, “I Too sing america” which means he is an american. Then he says “I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong.” In his first stanza, he is talking about how white men treated colored men, Hughes isn’t only referring to eating at a table with them but also at all the inequalities they had in that era referred to as segregation. Examples will be blacks and whites shared different bathrooms, water fountain and bus area. Then he laughs at segregation, and says it doesn’t affect him but it makes him stronger which means that segregation has united the colored men and women of america making them stronger. In the second stanza, he says, “Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then.” He is prophesizing an era where segregation is over, where colored men and women would have the right to speak their minds about economical or political views without being oppressed, where white people will recognize black as black americans, an era where both black and white americans work together to make America glorious. In the third stanza he says, “Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am And