In Walt Whitman’s poem “I Hear America Singing” he describes different jobs and the different sounds that are being. He describes the actions of a shoemaker, to a carpenter, and a mother, just to name a few. He views America as a place
that people take pride in their job no matter what the job is; everyone knows that each job is equally important. Langston Hughes “I, Too” has a different viewpoint. His poem describes that there is more to America than white males. He tries to express that there are different colors in America and each person should be treated equally, no matter how they look. He makes a strong point in his poem that small changes will make an impact and will build a better tomorrow.
In both poems the reader notices a sense of pride. Walt Whitman wrote of the pride that people have in their work. He describes the work that people do, how eager the people are to do their work, and how confident they are in their work. Langston Hughes sense of pride came from his skin color. He did not allow other people actions toward him determine his worth and destroy his confidence.
Both poems have the same theme, which is a sense of pride in who you are. Whitman present this theme while describing each person's job and how each particular job is a part of that person; no one can ever take their pride or their love for that job away. "Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else, " Langston presents the theme differently, "Besides/ They’ll see how beautiful I am/ And be ashamed," ( I, Too). He expresses his sense of pride by not being ashamed of the color of his skin. He has a sense of pride and confidence in who he is and does not care how others may see him.
Both poems showcase different viewpoints by different individuals, living in different times, but both share a common theme. Both authors, Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes, share many differences. Hughes is writes about skin color and Whitman writes about the jobs people do. But both poems have different views living in America. Whitman views it as work keeps America moving, Hughes views America as a place with a racial divide. But both are the same with the sense of pride in their poems. It may be express differently, one expressing pride through work and the other through skin color. Both poems will continue to showcase their views and pride to generations to come.