Langston Hughes I Too Essay

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.

Hughes did not make this poem very long and narrative, instead, he made it quick and to the point. On line three he says, "They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes." In saying those words, he is saying that the people are inferring that because he is of darker color he has been scolded and deprived of his freedom. The people have sent him to the kitchen to eat because they felt that he was not of high enough standards to eat in the kitchen when the company comes. Also, this may mean that the people are afraid of what the company might say when they see a black man in the house.

At first, Hughes primarily focused on writing for a black urban audience; throughout time, he changed his focus to middle-class blacks, and then to the men and women of Harlem as “black masses”. Hughes ended up directing his writing to both whites and blacks of all classes. His basic philosophy, taken from the poem “I, too,” was as follows:

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.

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

     People always listen to music, watch movies or plays, and even read poetry without once even thinking what is could be that helps and artist eventually create a masterpiece. Often times, it is assumed that artists just have a “gift”, and people just do not consider the circumstances and situations that gradually mold a dormant idea into a polished reality. This seems to be the case with nearly every famous actor, writer, painter, or musician; including the ever-famous Langston Hughes.

Langston Hughes’ style of poetry renounced the classical style of poetry and sought out a more jazz and folk rhythm style. Most of Hughes’ poems were written during the Harlem Renaissance, named after the cultural activity African Americans participated in, such as: literature, music, art, theatre, and political thinking. William Blake, on the other hand, was a nonconformist who was associated with the leading radical thinkers of his day. Although, considered a lyric poet and a visionary, Blake’s poetry was not read by many, yet he still believed that his poetry could be understood by common people and was determined not to sacrifice his vision to become popular.

Langston Hughes is regarded as one of the most significant American authors of the twentieth century. Foremost a poet, he was the first African-American to earn a living solely from his writings after he became established. Over a forty-year career beginning in the 1920s until his death in 1967, Hughes produced poetry, plays, novels, and a variety of nonfiction. He is perhaps best known for his creation of the fictional character, Jesse B. Semple, which first appeared in a Chicago Defender newspaper column in 1943. Hughes’ writings focused mainly on the lives of plain black people and show their beauty, wisdom, and strength to overcome social and economic injustice.

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 inspired others to reach their true potential in their work by using their own life as a catalyst:

In the poem, “I, too”, by Langston Hughes, the setting affect Hughes’ perspective on what it means to be American. The setting that Hughes presents to the reader is an American society that discriminates people of a darker skin color. Those who are a darker skin color are segregated from other Americans and treated as a outcast. In Hughes’ poem it states, “I am the darker brother./ They send me to eat in the kitchen/ when company comes,/” Through this quote, it can be inferred that Hughes’ perspective of what it means to be American is being part of society and to be treated like everyone else despite of a darker skin color. In the phrase “They send me to eat in the kitchen/ when company comes,/” it means that Hughes is an outcast and is treated differently than the rest. It also means that those that are white are ashamed to even be with him. It can be inferred that he is not the same color as his family members and is not accepted by his family. His society sees those of color as insignificant and inferior. Another detail is, “Tomorrow,/ I’ll be at the table/

Through the usage of euphony, Hughes softly calls out the matter of racism, an issue is barely touched on in America today. At the time I Too was written in 1925, this soft call depicts the fear and suppression the “darker brother” (Hughes) of America faced. While the euphony created by the patterns of the lines “ But I laugh/ And eat well,/ And grow strong” (Hughes) portrays their nonviolent protest against this untouched oppressive force of racism, today, the euphony behind the positive dictions such as “company” (Hughes) in this poem presents the issue as if it is simply the difference between “ea[ting] in the kitchen” or eating “ at the table. The usage of euphony depicts that the issue of racism is easier said than done, for that the issue was never solved but only modernized. Hence, this parallel emphasizes how understated the issue of racism is in America, while at the same time contradicting the reality of the issue

     Langston Hughes’s writing showcases a variety of themes and moods, and his distinguished career led his biographer, Arnold Rampersad, to describe him as “perhaps the most representative black American writer.” Many of his poems illustrate his role as a spokesman for African American society and the working poor. In others, he relates his ideas on the importance of heritage and the past. Hughes accomplishes this with a straightforward, easily understandable writing style that clearly conveys his thoughts and opinions, although he has frequently been criticized for the slightly negative tone to his works.