I Too By Langston Hughes Essay

    There is a very powerful message in Langston Hughes poem I, Too, that message is we are all Americans no matter what differences we have. During the Harlem Renaissance, African Americans were treated just like Africans, even though they were born in America. All of them at that time were born and raised in America, that should make them American. Hughes says in his poem “I, too, sing America”(1). Hughes says he is American just like

A situation can be interpreted into several different meanings when observed through the world of poetry. A poet can make a person think of several different meanings to a poem when he or she is reading it. Langston Hughes wrote a poem titled "I, Too." In this poem he reveals the Negro heritage and the pride that he has in his heritage and in who he is. Also, Hughes uses very simple terms that allow juvenile interpretations and reading.

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.

     The poem I, Too, uses excellent language, imagery and strong sounds to express the poet’s feelings towards racism. I, Too is an anti-discrimination poem, which shows the injustice of racism. The title gives the reader a sense of what the poem might entail by stating that the author has a personal relationship with America. The poem is situated in America and describes a black man’s personal experience with racial discrimination. He is treated as if he is an embarrassment to the white people, and made to feel inferior to them. The poet is trying to show how America blanket her racial discrimination issues. He also wants to convey the importance of racial equality. He wants the reader to understand that this is not just a personal experience, but a voice of his people. The tone changes throughout the poem. In the first line, the tone is patriotic. The line, “I, too, sing America,” indicates that he is also an American. And symbolizes that he has a stand in the nation. In the next section, the tone is of anger and strength. The man is infuriated at how he is treated, but he knows he is strong enough to fight back. This is shown in the line, “But I laugh, and eat

Langston Hughes, “I too, Sing America” chronicles an African-American male’s struggle with patriotism in an age of inequality and segregation in the United States. The poem cleverly uses metaphors to represent racial segregation faced by African-Americans during the early twentieth century. The speaker presents a battle cry for equality and acceptance, and his words are a plea and a declaration for nationalism and patriotism. Although, the poem does not directly imply racism, the speaker’s language suggests that he equates the kitchen to racial discrimination by the general American society. His word usage signals his wish to participate in a land that he proudly claims as his own despite his personal experiences of rejection. Despite

Langston Hughes spoke and captivated the general struggles of an African American’s life during the 1900s through his poem, “I, Too.” Hughes’ points out the injustice of bigotry or one’s beliefs in America, and his overall message is saying that an African American’s hard work is just as noteworthy as any other American. In contrast, Walt Whitman, author of “I Hear America Singing,” speaks about the employed citizens of America. He gives honor to those who are living their lives and working to make America a better place. Despite the fact that both poems are similar, they also have a vast amount of differences. Whitman’s poem is perplexed, while Hughes’ is straightforward. These authors’ poems focus on different themes and give the readers different perspectives. These poems are inspiring and demonstrate a new vision for society, however, the themes vary as Whitman focuses on a unified nation, and Hughes demonstrates his writing through an individual.

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.

In the poem I Too written in 1945 the overall theme focused by Langston was discrimination towards the African American people in the United States. We understand that the speaker in the poem is black from the first line where it states “I am the darker brother” providing an imagery for the readers. Then in the poem it says “They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes” setting the tone of the poem, meaning that the speaker is unimportant person or referring him to a slave. The reason so, is because back in the day’s slaves had to eat in the kitchen of white slave owners. The setting of the first stanza of I Too

Langston Hughes poem “I, Too” was written during a time when segregation was in affect, blacks was not allowed to have a voice. “I, Too” spoke volumes to the people of the Harlem Renaissance, it showed that blacks would rise and would become part of the American dream instead of facing ongoing segregation. African Americans would

Langston Hughes’s poem I, Too published in 1926 speaks at great length about the American identity: to be an American is an issue that transcends race, and all Americans should be treated equally. Writing from the perspective of an initially subservient African American, Hughes presents a story that begins in oppression and ends in triumph. A throwback to the prior institution of slavery, the setting of I, Too is confined to a single slave owner 's house; yet, it paints an image of struggle, growth and unity like none other of its time.

From freedom of speech, to freedom of religion, here in America, issues are also freed to hidden behind the phrase “freedom.” The statement of freedom like free flowing words on the page of poem, contains various definitions like different possible interpretations of a poem. While at the time for Langston Hughes, his definition of freedom was chained by the pigment of his skin. As he acknowledges his conflict with freedom while struggling against racism, Langston Hues in his poem I Too, expresses how the issue of racism has been understated in America through the usage of euphony, free verse and enjambment, depicting that the existence of freedom that was promised by America is incomplete.

      In the first line of "I, Too", Hughes says that he too sings America. He is saying that he too sings America. He is saying that he embraces everything America embodies, everything that established her in the first place. He sings for the freedom, the beautiful mountains, and her independence. Even though he embraces America in all her beauty, he is really saying I love this country and I should be socially acceptable in it. He wants everyone to see this, especially when he states that he is the darker brother. That second line quos the reader into why he is not accepted into society. That line spoke true of his life and what he faced everyday just walking down the street Because he was the darker brother, they would send him away to eat in the kitchen when company would come. However, he says he laughs, eats well, and grows strong. He knows one day African Americans will be accepted into society. Therefore, he takes care of himself and does not let society's opinion get him down. He is confident in this because when company comes they will be ashamed that they did not let him eat out in the open. Society will see his beauty and not see him as a disgrace. He finishes off his poem saying that he is America too. He is the freedom, the beautiful

Poetry is a varied art form. Poetry is expression with words, using aesthetics and definition. Word choice in poetry is the single most important thing. Devices such as assonance, alliteration and rhythm work in a poem to convey a certain image or to facilitate understanding. Similes and metaphors can take two unlike objects, such as a potato and cinderblock, and if done the correct way use them to describe how Abraham Lincoln dealt with scoundrels. Poetry is beautiful. One of the best genres in poetry, let alone a great literary movement is Romanticism or the post-enlightenment Romantics.