Compare And Contrast America And Money

To start off, money in the U.S. is perceived as the currency of the soul. It makes the world go round. Lapham writes, “They had been so ‘deflected by the pursuit of money’ that they could turn ‘in no other direction.’. In my opinion, Americans

In the poem “America,” by Tony Hoagland, the idea of Americans being consumed with their money is shown using symbolism and metaphors. The speaker in this poem is a teacher whose name is never mentioned. One thing revealed in the poem is that the speaker has a father who is presumably very wealthy and successful. One of the teacher’s students compares America to a maximum security prison. A recurring theme throughout “America” is Hoagland showing examples of America’s greedy society using a teacher, student, and a father’s experiences. Using metaphors of money and symbols of rivers filled with merchandise, Tony Hoagland captures how the teacher begins to think after he hears his student compare America to a maximum security prison.

In this paper I will be talking about the similarities and differences in the two different poems. The two poems were written by two incredible poets and were probably one of the best in their lifetimes. The first poem is written by Walt Whitman and is called “ I Hear America Singing”. The other poem is by Langston Hughes and is called “I, Too, Sing America” .Many people believe that Langston Hughes wrote his poem “I, Too, Sing America” in response to Walt Whitman's poem “ I Hear America Singing”. Some people have a completely opposite opinion and say that the two poems have nothing to with each other. Langston Hughes did many things in his life. Some of them include being an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and a

This episode of American Greed presents the subtle yet very dangerous white collar criminals, whose tactics lead to financial losses with harrowing effects. The criminal in this particular case, Mr. Steven Palladino, manages an ice cream store in his neighborhood of West Roxbury and as such is a widely trusted man. The trust he obtains be founded from having been born and grown here as well as having his entire family as the mascots for his fraudulent enterprise. Having studied finance and finally making his way successfully through college to become a registered stock broker, he makes use of his social status to start in the pursuit of a Ponzi scheme under the appearance of Viking Financial. On the flip side, his investors seem to have unwavering trust in him despite the location of his office, a small

Diction plays a large role in in conveying deep meaning within the two poems. Both writers use figurative and emotional vocabulary throughout each line. In “I Too, Sing America”, Hughes begins the first line using a figurative metaphor, “I too am the darker brother / They send me to eat in the kitchen” (Hughes 1-2). When Hughes refers to the narrator as the darker brother, the metaphor is actually referring the the African American community, not just a singular person. The second metaphor in line 2 attributes to the social divide and mistreatment between whites and blacks. This method of writing is mirrored in McKay’s “America”, “Although she feeds me bread of bitterness / And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth” (McKay 1-2 ). The diction McKay chooses to use, urges readers to empathize a feeling of sorrow and animosity towards America. He does this by using words such “bitterness” and “sinks into my throat”.

“America” expresses the speaker 's feelings towards America. The poem 's theme in a broad sense is describing the conflicting feelings of the speaker towards America. Though America is constantly fighting the speaker, he expresses that “I love this cultured hell that tests my youth” (McKay, 928)! This mixture of love, bitterness and hate towards America that is expressed in this line continues to be expressed throughout the poem. According to James Keller the speaker “expresses an admiration that is requited with contempt” (Keller). Though the speaker admits that he

The poems “I hear America Singing” and “I, Too” have different perspectives on the American lifestyle in the 1800s compared to the 1900s. When reading the poems it is obvious that the poem “I, Too” is replying to “I hear America Singing” because Hughes’s poem matches in accordance with Whitman’s opinion. The poems are similar while also having challenging views that contradict each other in terms of tone, position in society, and discrimination.

1)”America” is written in a Public voice. McKay writes this poem as though it is meant to be heard by all. However, there are some parts in “America” where it takes a more personal approach. For example, when McKay states “Stealing my breath of life, I will confess I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.” and also when he mentions how he gazes into the days ahead. I find in those sections of the poem McKay takes a more personal approach because of the specifics mentioned solely about her. The public approaches McKay makes in “America” are the parts where she is vaguer and the poem can relate to anyone. Specifically, the ending that focuses on the touch of time and priceless treasures can be construed by anyone to

In the poems “Let American be America Again” and “I hear America Singing” they are both dreams, but for different reasons. In “I hear America singing” Walt Whitman portrays America in an amazing light making people want to go this dream like utopian country. In “Let America be America Again” it portrays America as a land of false dreams and wants it to be the dream it hoped it be. It also tells of the corrupt, dark, crooked side of America. It also mentions how it should never have been like this.

During the time when these poems were written america was not america. It was not the land of the free. It was filled with segregation and hate. Hardly anyone could do anything. If you were african american you were a slave and were anything but free.

Poems are a very powerful form of literature that can inspire individuals. They can build pride for your country, tell a spectacular story, or inspire people to stand for what is right. “I, Too, Sing America” and “I Hear America Singing” are two spectacular poems that, may seem completely different at a quick glance share quite a bit of similarities. “I, Too, Sing America” and “I Hear America Singing” have interesting similarities and differences such as, the significance of the poems’ titles, the sense of pride in each poem, and how each poem views America. For starters, there is significance in the poems titles.

– Let America be America again). The poems display images of hardship and frustration. They both speak of a difference within races and also what the life in America is different from the eyes of someone who isn’t white.

One comparison of the two poems is describing what people do to be an American. Whitman describes different people and how they show living like an american. One example from his poem is," The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands, " He tells of specific

Likewise, he includes the words “America” (2), “arms race, space race/ astronaut, / President [and] Chase Manhattan Bank” (6-8) to provide reference to American identity. Allusion helps the readers to understand the differences between two countries. Literary devices are helpful to convey an overall theme of the poem, especially in regards to Canadian

Both poems talk of America however, “I Hear America Singing”, by Walt Whitman, speaks of America in 1855 as a place where, “Young fellows, robust, friendly, / Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs” (11-13). This is to say, a place where all are welcomed and are welcomed to be proud of themselves and their uniqueness. “I Hear America Singing” gives a positive look on american working life and the accepting nature of people. The poem “I, Too”, written in 1945 is from the perspective of an african american who has dealt with the struggle of discrimination and segregation. The outlook of the author, Langston Hughes, has is still optimistic but only when looking into the future. Langston Hughes writes of America in 1945 saying, “They