Poem Analysis Of Langston Hughes Theme For English B

The poem, “Theme For English B.” was written back in the 1920s by an African-American student. Langston Hughes was the author of this poem. The poem talks about his experience during this time period in history. The poem goes on to talk about an instructor of his to write a page and make it about letting the paper come out in you. I think that goes to mean the instructor wants him to write how he feels and doing so will make it true and honest. That’s where Hughes talks about his experience of the 1920s and being African-American. The relationship established between the teacher and student in this poem seems like any other teacher in this day and age; supportive and wants to hear how he truly feels. Also, the instructor seems, to me, like they want to get to know his/her student better as well. More than likely, the instructor is Caucasian and wanting to know how an African-American student would feel knowing that they are different. The poem goes on to talk about where he was born, where he went to school and telling he was the only African-American student there at the university. So, assuming, he was feeling out of place, Hughes made it known that he was the only person there of a different background, especially for the time period. The student, Hughes, interpreted the writing assignment
to be about him and how he feels. He mainly states the facts of where he came from, how old he is, and what color of skin he was. In the 1920s, the color of our skin made a huge difference in how one was treated. So for him to be the only one of his ethnic group, I’m sure he felt really out of place. From what the poem states, the instructor told him to go home that night to write a paper basically of how he was feeling and it will come out true. Hughes took the time to write and make it known that he was of different color and was the only student of his ethnic background. The only issue I see out of this whole poem is that he asks the question, “Is it really that simple?” meaning if the paper is to come out of him and how he feels, he wanted to make it know that he was African-American going to college and being that he was twenty-two years of age from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Now, doing some research on Langston Hughes there is an issue with his statement of being born in Winston-Salem when he was actually born in Joplin, Missouri. Unless, this poem isn’t about him or another person within his class, but all evidence points out that he was the one that was in this situation. That’s the only possibility for a disagreement that I
see. The author’s claim in this poem is that it talks about his experience, who he is and how writing a paper can be so simple, especially when it comes from the heart. He wanted to make it know that he was twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem, lived there and then moved to Durham, and then he went to college. He also claims that he was only on in the class that was of a different skin color. Honestly, I think what does that even matter, then again, it was a big deal back in the 1920s time period. I think the teacher will respond to the student’s interpretation of this assignment very well. The instructor said to let it come from you and that’s where it will be most true. I think the student hit the nail on the head in being true to himself when it came to the writing assignment. If this assignment isn’t about Hughes, then it would be the African-American experience down in the South during the 1920s and it would be a sight to see with being African-American in college, especially down in the south that had such a major problem with segregation. Overall, Hughes did a good job in trying to capture the scene back in the 1920s for an African-American going to college to become a better person. Even though he was the only colored student in the class, I’m sure the student was feeling all kinds of emotion that could have been more elaborated. Honestly, it makes you think about Hughes just putting the demographics of the student in context and being the 1920s, you can truly imagine how the student would have felt and what the instructor was trying to get the student to open up his feelings to the situation.