What Is I Too Poem

Through his poem “Theme for English B”, Langston Hughes expresses his will to exterminate discrimination by proving that despite different skin colors, Americans all share similarities and learn from each other. Langston wrote the poem in 1900, when black Americans were not considered Americans. He talks about a black student being assigned to write a paper about himself. The audience is thus the student’s professor – the representation of the white Americans. Since the professor said: “let that page come out of you---Then, it will be true.”, the student began wondering “if it’s that simple”. He then describes himself to explain why it isn’t simple: he is “twenty-two”, “the only colored in class”, and lives in the poor community Harlem.

"I, Too" really exhibits the black man and his will to do well even under pressuring conditions to be some one that he is not. This pressure leads to a whole new line of confidence and pride shown in the third stanza.

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.

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

Nearly three centuries ago, black men and women from Africa were brought to America and put into slavery. They were treated more cruelly in the United States than in any other country that had practiced slavery. African Americans didn’t gain their freedom until after the Civil War, nearly one-hundred years later. Even though African Americans were freed and the constitution was amended to guarantee racial equality, they were still not treated the same as whites and were thought of as second class citizens. One man had the right idea on how to change America, Martin Luther King Jr. had the best philosophy for advancing civil rights, he preached nonviolence to express the need for change in America and he united both African Americans

I, too and Dreams are both poems that cover an issue that was happening for a very long time in America. The issue that African Americans and other minorities should conform to society’s unfair box that they have put African Americans in terms of what they could do and be with their lives, or they should not conform because they know that it is wrong. This way of conformity began with the slaves. The slave owners, who were white, were perceived to be better than the slaves, who were black. Slave owners were richer, and perceived to be smarter than the “unruly beasts” that were African slaves. This belief changed and evolved like any other belief. In more recent decades, after the Civil War, African Americans and other minorities were thought to be second class citizens compared to white people. African Americans could not do or be certain things, like famous singers, because it would be

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 is one the most renowned and respected authors of twentieth century America not simply one of the most respected African-American authors, though he is certainly this as well, but one of the most respected authors of the period overall. A large part of the respect and admiration that the man and his work have garnered is due to the richness an complexity of Hughes' writing, both his poetry and his prose and even his non-fictions. In almost all of his texts, Hughes manages at once to develop and explore the many intricacies and interactions of the human condition and specifically of the experience growing up and living as a black individual in a white-dominated and explicitly anti-Black society while at the same time, while at the same time rendering his human characters and their emotions in a simple, straightforward, and immensely accessible fashion. Reading the complexity behind the surface simplicity of his works is at once enjoyable and edifying.

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

Writing “I Too”, Hughes is somewhat replying to Whitman's “I Hear America Singing” when he says “I ,too, sing America” he is making a strong and powerful statement. All the lies and false perceptions of other races, Hughes is putting to rest. He is declaring that one day his song will be just as loud as the ones now sung by the white people, no one

struggle of the Afro Americans. It is a dream which has not come true and will

Langston Hughes is a clever poet who uses different symbols to foster the value of his message. He uses of "I" to show that he has also been an American and will not be separated from the society. He represents the previous view of African Americans and their power to make a great change to finally move forward. Hughes through this passage shows African American as second-class citizens and they as colored people were treated and get discriminated in the society back in the days. The words in the poem seem simple, yet very philosophical that make someone thinks about the significance of the equality concept, which everyone need to be equal regardless of age, race, and gender.

The poem I, Too by Langston Hughes was written in a prosperous time for Black Americans who obtained their cultural identity through expression of literature, art, music, and poetry. This time period is often referred to as the Harlem Renaissance because it was “cultural rebirth” of the Black community that took place in Harlem, New York. Many great poets and writers such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston and Countee Cullen blossomed during this time. They often expressed themselves through literature inspiring and enlightening their audiences. Also with the hopes of Civil Rights for Black Americans who sought for a brighter future for generations to come. The literary work by Langston Hughes, I, Too expresses the yearning of the Black community wanting to express themselves as Americans. Langston Hughes is able to captivate racial issues through his poetry in the context of his choice while applying historical viewpoints. Allowing his audience then and now to understand the struggle and empowerment of Black Americans during harsh times.