I Hear America Singing And I Too Essay

This was a cause for celebration, hence the symbol of singing. Whitman lists each profession followed by what they do and how it is their distinct song. He also related this to how wach one is American and this variety and joy is what makes them American. The point he is trying to get across, is that the freedom in America is a cause for celebration and should not be taken for granted. We need to enjoy the freedom we have been so graciously blessed with. There is nothing more special than the ability to freely do what we find desirable each and every day. Hughes' poem, I, Too, Sing America, is very different in the theme; the main theme is how he is viewed in America, being an African-American. He talks about how he treated differently because of his color. For example, " I am the darker brother/ They send me to eat in the kitchen/ When company comes"(Lines 2-4). It is clear that he is not treated equally because of his skin color. In this poem, he explains that, although he has dark skin, he too sings. He wants to, and is apart of their culture and country. Nothing and nobody can take that away from him. He explains that one day everyone will see how beautiful he is and be ashamed of how they treated him. These two poems, clearly have different themes; however, Hughes' poem, I, Too, Sing America, builds off of Whitman's poem, I Hear America Singing, by saying that he is just as American and wants to enjoy the freedom of the country he resigns in and can "sing" just as

The division between whites and blacks was clearly prevalent and the United States of America was a racially discriminatory society reinforced by its racist laws. Hughes took the initiative to speak his mind via poetry, resulting in his piece “I, Too”. In this poem, Hughes clearly signifies one thing: Just because his skin color is different from whites, does not mean that they get to sing the National Anthem louder. Arguing that all American citizens are the same, disregarding their skin color, Hughes applies in this poem a master-slave relationship. The assumed white master shows disrespect to his servant by sending him away whenever visitors come over, because he is ordered to eat secluded from the company. However he seems to not be faze by this and actually finds it funny, supported by “But I laugh” (5). Furthermore, not only does he find amusement in this unpleasant situation, but the isolation has a positive effect on him “And grow strong” (7), implying that even though he submits to his master, his spirit will not be diminished.

Langston Hughes was a poet with many artistic abilities. His writing and drawings established the lifestyles of many African Americans during this time. In a poem called “I, Too” Hughes express his feelings as an African American, a brother, and someone who deserves to fit in society. He states “I, too sing America” (1039). Hughes saw himself as an individual who has a voice in America even though his skin is a little darker. In a poem called “Democracy” Hughes states: “I have as much right as the other fellow has to stand on my own two feet and own the land” (1043). Hughes was speaking for every African American whom were still dealing with segregation, racism, and freedom.

Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes. Two highly renowed poets. One of Whitman's most known poems, "I Hear America Singing", is about living the American life; he explains multiple types of people in his piece of work and how they are all a part of America. Similar to this, Langston Hughes wrote the poem "I, Too, Sing America", and in this, he includes African Americans, suggesting that Whitman left some people out. Also saying, that blacks are proud and just as big of a part of America as anyone else. Along with this, both are similar in the sense that they are about people in America. Aside from this, there are three other ways in which the poems "I, Too, Sing America", and "I Hear America Singing", are similar. Becasue of this, the poems

There is also evidence when he said that he is the darker brother and they sent him to eat in the kitchen which is talking about Hughes` being treated unfairly. In the second stanza he says “ Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table when company comes. Nobody’ll dare say to me, “Eat in the Kitchen,” then”. He talks about the future when he is a well known poet and everyone will be treated equally, he will be treated the same as the people who used to treat him

Hughes’s poem is more of an argument against that of the people (whites) back then who were prejudice against blacks. With the first couple of lines of “I, Too, Sing America”, the lines mean that even if he is sent to the “kitchen” when “company” comes, he’ll still laugh and eat well and grow stronger from the experience, not really seeing it as if it were bad but more of a motivation to stop it from happening again. When coming to the lines of “Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the Kitchen,” Then”, the lines that are given here are just saying that this time around he’ll be at the “table” when the “company” and no one

The metaphor in line 3, “They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes,” expresses the oppression that African Americans still face (Hughes). However, as the poem progresses, a sense of hope appears. Found in line 15, “Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed---” the true value of African Americans will soon enough prevail (Hughes). In “I Too”, the narrator’s use of personal pronouns symbolizes the entirety of African Americans and how the oppression denotes isolation.

In I, Too, Sing America when Langston Hughes writes of a darker brother who is told to eat in the kitchen you know that he is talking about African Americans. In this poem Langston Hughes writes a stanza that changes your idea of what the poem is about. He says “ Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table when company comes. Nobody’ll dare say to me, “Eat in the Kitchen,” then”. This line is is clearly stating the main idea of the poem right there. It’s telling us of how now there is segregation, but one day in the future all men will be equal.

Hughes in his poem ‘I, Too’, told us that African Americans knew that change was coming, and they were waiting for it to come. Hughes said “I am the darker brother… Tomorrow I’ll be at the table when company comes… Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed-.” (Hughes, lines 2, 8-10, 15-17). This proves that African American people weren’t treated equally due to their race.

Another poem that discusses inequality is “I, Too, Sing America”; however, this poem takes a slightly more positive perspective. This poem begins on a somber note as the narrator states that he is forced to eat in the kitchen rather than at the dining table with the white people. Still, the narrator keeps in positive spirits because he believes that he will one day be accepted. He says “tomorrow” he will sit at the table with everyone else and they (white people) will be abashed by how they treated African Americans. Though he is mistreated now, the world we eventually see his beauty (the beauty of all African Americans) and change will

Whitman's poems themes were mostly equality, democracy, and the celebration of man in America during the first industrial revolution; he was interested in American diversity. Whitman's poem “I hear America Singing” has a patriotic tone and follows hard working American living their daily lives. Whitman's parents ancestors were early immigrants to the United States. This made him feel "fully American." He took much pride in his and that pride came through in his poetry.

Moving on to a message from the ever controversial poem I, Too. This particular masterpiece delves into the message of pride from the beginning. The poem starts by telling the reader how the white people have segregated the blacks from the very beginning. “They send me to eat in the kitchen/ When company comes,” (Lines 3-4). Hughes is taking no shame in thoroughly putting down the whites for how they treated his people. This very

Hughes begins the poem by writing, “I, too, sing America/I am the darker brother/they send me to eat in the kitchen/when company comes” (lines 1-4). This displays the powerful inward cry for equality and respect for an African American male in America. The speaker of this poem is Langston Hughes and within the minute fine lines of this poem he strives to portray the ideal character of an African American man who continuously had to battle the inward emotional distress from a society that won't accept him as a human being. It was hard enough for a black man in America to simply walk down a street without being suspected of mischievous activity but it wasn’t extremely difficult to fathom the thought of suspicion, fear, and rejection in your own home. As the Great