Analysis Of Langston Hughes Theme For English B

The two poems by Langston Hughes “Theme for English B” and “ I, Too” both identify racism that permeates all stations of life. In both texts, Hughes represents the two speakers as African Americans and identifies how one tries to elevate himself through education and the other individual remains trapped at a lower station. In the poem “Theme for English B” skin colour and all that it represents emerges when the speaker searches for his identity as well as what is the truth about his abilities. The speaker expresses his view in how he deals with his white counterparts (the instructor). “I, Too” centers on the idea of racial oppression, looking at how whites do not recognize blacks as equals and how this affects the individual. Yet the texts attempt to show the basic human similarities between African Americans and white people despite their perceived differences and societal segregation. The two speakers within the poems struggle with their own self-worth in relation to their colour. The similarity between the two speakers is that they approach their issues confident in their capabilities and futures. The two speakers differ in that they appear to have different stations in life; servitude versus achieving higher education, yet both struggle with self-worth.

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Langston Hughes was one of the first black men to express the spirit of blues and jazz

Langston Hughes clearly connects with a wide range of audiences through the simplicity that surrounds his poetry. The beauty of this manner in which he wrote his poetry, is that it grasp people by illustrating his narratives of the common lifestyles experienced by the current American generation. His art form expresses certain questionable ideologies of life and exposes to the audience what it takes to fully comprehend what being an American truly means. Each individual poem describes and illustrates the strength and hardships the African American community was experiencing. Through his literature art form of poetry, Hughes was able to convey the common assertions of

Throughout my life I have experienced many trials that are quite different to that of the narrator in “Theme for English B”; however, there are some similarities such as his life experiences, that can be compared to those of the narrator. In this poem Langston Hughes writes of a man who is given an assignment with very abstract and philosophical instructions for writing this paper. Accordingly, the narrator has some difficulties at first because he thinks of how different he and the professor is, saying “It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I’m what I feel and see and hear” (16-18). Consequently, the narrator realizes the difference between his life in Harlem and the life of his white professor. This causes the narrator to be skeptical of how the professor may receive the narrators’ interpretation of the assignment. Though the narrator and I share similar characteristics and experiences it is the differences that make the most impact throughout this paper. Three major differences are his teacher’s assignment, the colleges view of him, and his life in general. While Hughes does provide much background information on the narrator’s past, he gives multiple examples of his life a student and as a citizen living at the YMCA in Harlem.

Langston Hughes is famous for his many great poems and was a very talented man. He wrote a poem in college called “Theme for English B”. In Langston Hughes’s poem, he uses imagery of racial differences and a bold tone to undermine the teacher’s authority. He also to expresses the universal idea that intolerance often comes out of individual assumption. Langston’s confusion of the topic of the paper causes him to write the entire paper about the paper.

My response to Langston Hughes ' in Theme for English B is we have a variety of interests that are relatable to both of us. We encountered and conquered the greatest battles in our lives. We confronted segregation and rejection in view of the color of our skin and identity. After reading his poem, I was reminded of how I experienced discrimination and rejection throughout public school and I was labeled an outsider. I was discriminated and rejected not only just the color of my skin, it’s because of my disability. Langston Hughes’ Theme for English B made me feel the same way at public school. I wonder, precisely who am I? Where do I fit on this Earth? Indeed, these are a couple of questions that Hughes struggles with, aside from the world in which he was posing these questions. I was lost, but now I found my identity and build great character. My identity, which includes my race, disability, and my values are either accepted or not in this broken world. These three things affect how I read Langston Hughes’ poem because I was faced with deep ambivalence toward the prevailing society, but now I feel that I’m open and positive about society and my place in it.

In “Theme for English B” Langston Hughes dramatizes race and self-identity. Hughes is struggling to relate himself to his teacher and everyone around him, so he starts off by telling readers about his background such as his age and where he has lived. “I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston- Salem” (2). Through the first stanza of the poem we know that Hughes is living through a time where race is a big issue and not too many African American adolescents are in school like he is. He is learning more and more about himself by asking questions about the society he lives in and if and how he fits in it. He is trying to discover truths about his self-identity by comparing himself and his white teacher several times. “You are white- yet a

Langston Hughes is a famous poet known mostly for his contribution to the Harlem Renaissance. He wrote many inspirational poems that are still read and used for educational purposes. Many of his poems were inspired by his life and his story. One of his many poems entitled “Theme for English B” talks about how his teacher instructed him to write a page about himself and it will be true. In a “Theme for English B”, Hughes uses tone, and characterization to display a relationship between race and writing.

Power and knowledge do not discriminate, however it links us together. Langston Hughes uses Aristotle’s rhetorical method of Logo to express his theory. In his poem Theme for English B. He expresses that we learn from each other every day. No matter the level of power or knowledge you hold, you still have the capability to teach and learn from someone of a different life style. For example, he

In the poem: Theme for English B by Langston Hughes, the audience gets a chance to read about the speaker, who is a African American college student living in Harlem who attends a predominantly white college. The speaker’s English instructor assigns an assignment, quoting at the begging of the poem “Go home and write a page tonight. Let that page come out of you— then, it will be true” (Hughes 4-5). The speaker immediately questions what his English instructor has to say about the truth, with the fact of them being from two different worlds. The speakers states “I am the only colored student in my class”, which already puts him at a racial disadvantage. The speaker struggles with finding a common barrio between being colored and finding a common truth with his English instructor, during a time where the color of your skin made you a bull’s eye for racism and there were no common barrio between black and white people.

Langston Hughes faces a personal situation in his life at Auntie Reed’s church. At the Age of 13, Langston attends church with Auntie Reed, towards the end the church held a special meeting for the young lambs (kids). The meeting was to welcome the little lambs to accept Jesus into their lives and to be saved. Auntie Reed describes the magical feeling of the acceptance of Christ. The bright white light that shines and the feeling of Christ entering inside. Langston believed everything his aunt had said and couldn’t help, but wonder what it was going to be like when it happens. Hughes seeing all the old people praying for him and chanting to their lord, brought curiosity to his head and wonder why he didn’t feel Christ welcoming arms. The little

Langston Hughes, a poem writer, of “ I, Too”, “Democracy”, and “Theme for English B” portray the themes of race, identity, and the belief of what it means to be an American. In the poem “I, Too” the speaker of the poem is a black male slave. The poet states, “I am the darker brother” thus implying that his black or has dark skin. The title “I, Too” is an allusion signifying I am one with you.

Throughout history, forms of language such as, speeches, poetry, and literature, have been strategically and efficiently utilized as a revolutionary tactic to fulfill a goal of social change. For instance, Langston Hughes was an incredible poet in which he used his words to question the racial division of the American society during the Harlem Renaissance. Additionally, Hughes became a vital figure in the movement for racial equality through the use of his language. Language and more specifically, words have the power to drive resistance because they convey a particular message and inspire and motivate others to strive for social change. With the assistance of rhetorical techniques, such as word choice, tone, theme, allusion, imagery, pathos, and repetition, the message is adequately emphasized to convey the poet’s idea. This, therefore, motivates others to contribute to change. Furthermore, poetry is crucial to effectively motivate the collective majority to be involved in resistance through the use of rhetoric.

Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin Missouri. He was a poet, columnist, and novelist. He grew up most of his life primality living with his mother, moving around a lot. His father left them for Mexico because he was disgusted with American racism (Levine 834). Although he moved around a lot, he still excelled in school and as a writer. Hughes transformed into the very versatile and historical poet and lyricists that we know today. In his poems he used jazz to capture the reality of African American culture. Hughes began writing poetry at a young age and the events that he experienced firsthand conveyed an authentic voice for him. As a writer, during the Harlem Renaissance, the inspiration for his writings spawn from the hatred and injustice toward the African American race. As a result, Hughes became an activist for racial injustices because of the positive effects of his writing. Most of his poems stimulate from the hopes of African Americans one day obtaining the American dream. Hughes used his poetry as his gateway for protest.