To Walt Whitman's I, Too, Sing America

Born ten years after the death of Walt Whitman, there was no possible way for Langston Hughes to ever meet or communication with Whitman, but that did not mean Hughes could not establish a connection to him, or at least his work. In 1925, Hughes wrote a poem titled “I, Too” was inspired by and directed in response to the poem “I Hear America Singing”, which was composed by Whitman much earlier. Whitman’s poem consisted of a variety of different American laborers who “sing” as they do their jobs. This well-known poem never specifically addresses the ethnicity of these singing laborers of the American population, but Hughes sets about to rectify that omission.

Both Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman are regarded as some of the finest poets in a long list of excellent American poets. Hughes, a poet during the Harlem Renaissance era of American poetry, often wrote of the struggles of African Americans in his poetry. A common theme of Harlem Renaissance poetry was discussing the struggles and advancements of African Americans in terms of social justice. Walt Whitman wrote his poetry in the period of transition from transcendentalism and realism. His works can be seen to incorporate elements of both styles. Walt Whitman was also a humanist, and this can also be readily seen in his many works. Both Langston Hughes’ “Let America Be America Again” and Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” tackle the idea of oneself within a larger collective group. However, Hughes speaks from the African American viewpoint at the time. Hughes relies on more specific imagery, while Whitman incorporates imagery that is more generalized. Each of the authors uses imagery in similar yet individually effective ways, covers a similar theme with respective viewpoints, and uses different tones to cover how an individual effectively fits into a collective.

Each of these two poems are extremely patriotic and portray the American spirit. After reading these poem the readers typically reaction is having a lot of pride in their great country. In “I Hear America Singing” it describes all the small hard jobs that keeps America running. Such as farmers, mechanics, sailors and many more essential jobs. In “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes, he talks about how he is not accepted as an American, because he is darker. He thinks this is wrong, because he sings America just like us. There is only one difference between us and that is skin color. Both Walt Whitman, and Langston Hughes were born in America and have a deep love for it, that makes them both American. So a skin color should not keep another human being, from treating them the

The message that Hughes and de Hoyos are trying to convey is that their races were forgotten in Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing.” This is proven by one quote from each poem. In “I, Too,” Hughes says, “I, too, sing America./ I am the darker brother.” This is hinting that Walt Whitman neglected to mention anything about the African Americans, who are also proud of what they do. In “To Walt Whitman,” de Hoyos says, “-my Native Amerindian race that I can’t to seem to find in your poems.” This line says that, in all of his poems, Walt Whitman never seemed to talk about the Native

Simply put, America is the land of opportunity. In the past, immigrants have left most of their family, memories, and familiarities with their homeland in search of a better life in America, where jobs were easy to find and the economy was booming. These immigrants formed almost the entire American population, a demographic anomaly in which people from nationalities separated by land and sea; these people come from countries separated by expansive distances can live within the same neighborhood. Both Anna Quindlen with her essay “A Quilt of a Country” and John F. Kennedy with his essay “The Immigrant Contribution” have documented the story of these immigrants and what they have done to contribute to the great country of the United States of America. Both authors have written in their own unique style which has changed the reader’s perspective of their accomplishments, contributions, and sense of community in their new nation. In the essays “A Quilt of a Country” by Anna Quindlen and “The Immigrant Contribution by John F. Kennedy, they show similar writing styles by both using the formal diction in their writing, and contradict in the way that Quindlen takes a more poetic approach in her writing, while Kennedy, being the President of the United States, uses more sophisticated dictions.

Simply put, America is the land of opportunity. In the past, immigrants have left most of their family, memories, and familiarities with their homeland in search of a better life in America, where jobs were easy to find and the economy was booming. These immigrants formed almost the entire American population, a demographic anomaly in which people from nationalities separated by land and sea; these people come from countries separated by expansive distances can live within the same neighborhood. Both Anna Quindlen with her essay “A Quilt of a Country” and John F. Kennedy with his essay “The Immigrant Contribution” have documented the story of these immigrants and

        One of the most noticable similarities between the two pieces of poetry, "I Hear America Singing", and "I, Too, Sing America", is the theme of unity. Both poems express what America is, and that is the people in America. Whitman's poem however, doesn't include blacks in his poem, but all other kinds of people. Hughes', poem makes it so that he is included. For example, Whitman's poem celebrates, "The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,

The two poems also share a lot of similarities. The first and most obvious similarity is the titles. The two titles "I Hear America Singing" and "I, Too, Sing America" both have America singing, or singing about America. In the two poems the poets talk about what they think America is at the time they lived. In Walt Whitman`s he talks about how Americans work together and do good at their jobs to make a great country. In the poem by Hughes he talks about what is wrong with how Americans think discrimination is right and he wants America to be like the way Whitman described it which is Americans helping each other build and sustain their country. The two poets have a lot of love for their country and really want to see America as a safe and unified country.

The idea of an equal America exists no more. Regardless of the fact that there is a plethora of varying perspectives dividing the country into two, there are words and phrases that are generally accepted in viewing our country from the rest of the world. First, the American Dream is regularly associated with equal opportunity, prosperity, and liberty. Walt Whitman, as well as many others, have written about this desired America for the socially accepted American. He is often referred to as “America’s Poet,” who amplifies the elegant qualities of America that we believe to be true. It is obvious that Whitman portrays America as an alive and colorful place full of chance and flourishment throughout his work. “I Hear America Singing” is a prime example of an America that is only seen from the surface, where Whitman clearly indicates that the United States is a country where all its citizens are able to achieve equality and liberty. Contradictory, Sharon Olds poem, “On the Subway,” proves the lack of individual liberty, which deteriorates the growth of the country, ultimately opposing the America, where personal freedom is the foundation. Olds’ poem pokes holes in the surface that shows the controversial interior that truly makes up America that Whitman painted beforehand. Olds and Whitman also illustrate varying insight regarding personal liberty and its importance in two opposing poems; one who proclaims it as easily attainable and necessary to the country and the other who

Walt Whitman explores individualism by looking through all of the diversity within America and identifying that people are different and have come from many different backgrounds. However, we are all one in the same due to the connection of being American. He does this because he wants to maintain his individual “self-hood” while finding a place within America, a happy medium. The role of the individual in this piece of work Whitman states is “one of the Nation of many Nations, the smallest the same and the largest the same,” which means everyone has a different background and have all come from many places far away, but are still apart of America nonetheless. This is what brings us together. In the opening section of Song of Myself Whitman starts by saying all human beings are the same, “And what I assume you shall assume, for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” I believe this is Whitman’s attempt at trying to merge his own self into society, while maintaining his “self-hood.”

In Walt Whitman's poem he talks about the American jobs and all the difference tunes they play while in Langston Hughes poem he talks about African Americans and how the future will be different. One may not be able to notice at first but these two poems share a lot of similarities. Both these poems state phrases such as “ I, Too am America”, or “ I hear America” in which both poets answer the question to who or what they think is America. Both poets reach different answers to this question as they explore this topic in their writing. Walt Whitman's poem shows a unified America all working together as one from the mechanic whose singing is blithe and strong to the delicious singing of the mother. In Langston Hughes poem it shows the injustice in not letting African Americans be part of this unified America, so it’s essentially an argument between the two poets as they argue back and

Whitman wrote broad stanzas and focused on the whole of America as his inspiration. His lines covered a wide range of topics and generated multiple points of view for the reader. He called his life’s work “Leaves of Grass”; stressing the

     America is an idea, a set of beliefs about people and their relationships and the kind of society which holds the best hope of satisfying the needs each of us brings as an individual. For countless immigrants, the struggle to arrive in America was rivaled only by the struggle to gain acceptance among the population. Immigrants say they came to America seeking economic opportunity and freedom for themselves and their children, and at the same time they have all, at one time,

There are also many differences within the two poems, “ Theme for English B and Let America be America again.” The first poem explains the life of a twenty two year old person who is in school through the eyes of an outside narrator. The narrator describes that he has desires and needs just like anyone else, but that all depends on the color of your skin. It even gets to the point where it’s possible that his opinions that he states are “colored.” (So will my page be colored that I write? – theme for English B.). He later explains that no matter how separated things can be, there is always a connection between people from all walks of life. In the other poem, “ let America be America again” is about what the country stands for but with an ironic twist. Hughes supports this element with examples of metaphor and his monologues reinforce what he states in the poem. (There’s never been equality for me, or freedom in this “homeland of the free”.

If one listens closely, they can hear America’s song. The words, like thunder, comprise the groans of the slave, the cheers of the free, and the unmistakable sounds of the brave. The music rings out as clear as day; it is composed by the growing children and the dying men. Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes captured the essence of these songs in their respective works, “I Hear America Singing” and “I, Too, Sing America.” The first describes the melodies of a working nation, the “the wood-cutter’s song” and the “delicious singing of the mother” (Whitman 7-8). The quiet musings of a young African American make up the latter; it is a hymn of hushed hope for tomorrow. Although the two poems stand alone, both Whitman’s and Hughes's works powerfully capture the song of America through the sense of pride found in each piece, the uses of different literary elements, and their individual views of the nation.