Theme for English B by Langston Hughes

The poem “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes is one about race, place and writing. It is a poem about how different race groups all interact and connect whether or not people like it. These ideas are put together by focusing on the use of language, the importance of context and place, and the use of imagery and sound effects. By showing how he uses these aspects, I will explain how he puts forward the theme of his writing, race and the overall point of the poem. This will all be done in order to explain the main concerns of the poem which are race, place and writing.
The context and place explain how though White and Black people have their differences (colour being the main one), they cannot escape each other in their lives and the way they live. Everyone is interconnected in all parts of life. To get from the place where he is only surrounded by White people which is his school up the hill from St. Nicholas, he has to pass “down into Harlem”, a place that is populated by Black people and beaming with Black culture. In his life, he has to interact with both races, whether or not he likes it. This idea is also reflected in stanza eight where the speaker says that even though they sometimes do not want to be a part of each other, they “are, that’s true.” Blacks and Whites are all connected in some part of their beliefs. They are all American and they are all a part of each other. He, Black and twenty-two and his instructor, White and older, learn from each other despite their differences. They influence each other in some way or another in their lives.
In the poem, there is a theme of writing. This is conveyed in Hughes use of language. The speaker uses the assignment given to him in class to portray his struggles through literature. The poem is an idiom of a Harlem and Harlem is a place where some of the greatest authors and poets cultivated their literary skills. The constant use of assonance which remains throughout the poem portrays the common rhythm of jazz. The broken rhythm in lines 18 and 19 also echo the jazz rhythm of Harlem music. The poem’s theme of the links between writing and racial identity come forward in line 27 when he asks himself if his “page will be colored that [he] writes”. By answering that “being [him], it will not be white,” he shows that although his intelligence is the same or even more than his White classmates and that he would like equality, it is impossible to escape the racial division. The written page is used as a vehicle for unity between the two races. The page, in itself, contains both black and white colours with the page and the colour of the font on it. Black and white is integrated, just as Black people and White people inevitably have to interact in life.
Hughes uses imagery and sound effects in the poem to focus on the issue of race and contact between all races. The constant reference to Harlem, reminds us of his being Black and his Black culture. This is done by the rhythm in the poem that is used in common jazz songs such as his use of assonance and the break in lines 18 and 19. He reminds us though that it is not race that makes us who we are truly though it plays a big part in our lives and establishes important differences. Hughes also conveys the message of unity by basing it on simple things that everyone can relate to, regardless of their race. He, like White people likes “to eat, sleep, drink and be in love”. These are not activities only reserved for a specific race of people. He also mentions that he likes records for Christmas, whether “Bessie, bop, or Bach.” Bessie and bop are jazz styles and were mainly made by and foe Black people. Bach on the other hand, is typically White. By stating that he listens to both types of music, he shows that his race does not make him who he is. He does not limit his way of living and his lifestyle because of his race. By ending the poem simply stating “This is my page for English B”, Hughes leaves the reader with the image of how America is with its universally shared issues, knowing that what truly matters is what the poem communicates to the mind and that I a calling for freedom.
By use of context, language, imagery and sound effects, Hughes has successfully managed to advocate a universal ideology which we can all relate to in order to combat racism. He has used context and place to show how we are all inevitably a part of each other’s lives regardless of our race. To carry on in life, we have to tolerate each other. By his use of language, he also shows how our lives are all integrated. His use of imagery and sound effects also show how we cannot escape from being in each other’s lives and we all influence our ways of living regardless of our race. Although our race and the colour of our skin serve as fundamental differences, we are much alike in a lot of aspects in our everyday lives. Our race does not make us who we are.