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How Did Langston Hughes Write Theme For English B

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Langston Hughes’s commitment to a celebration of black American life in all its forms is the reason why he has been proclaimed “The Poet Laureate of Black America”(Waldron). In the 1950’s, racism, segregation, economic hardships and cultural evolvement was at another peak. This poem shows that although different cultures exist in society, they possess same similarities. In Langston Hughes’ poem, “Theme For English B,” the speaker is given an assignment to write a paper; however, he struggles with how he should write it because the instructor asks that the paper come from within themselves and that would make it true to life. Life at this time was based on white Americans. The speaker in the poem is a black student in an all white classroom. The young man goes through a quandary whether he should write as a typical …show more content…

It appears throughout the poem, that he is able to clearly see the differences and similarities of himself and his classmates. The speaker states, “I am the only colored student in my class” (Hughes 10) as he identifies as the challenged minority. He then begins showing the similarities he has with his instructor and classmates in the sixth stanza, “Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love./I like to work, read, learn, and understand life” ( 21-22). He says that the color of his skin does not make a difference in everyday living, the music he listens too or the type of literature that interests him. In the following stanza he talks about how he is just like everyone else, despite his skin color. “I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like/The same things other folks like who are other races” ( 25-26). Several times he points out qualities that make black and white race equal, therefore, attempting to figure out who he is and where he fits in to the social form of

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