The Poem I Too Hear America Singing - Free Essay Sample

The poem I TOO by Langston focuses on the African Americans in the white culture in the USA. It captures the oppression, slavery, inequality, and denial of rights the black people face in the USA. The major theme in the poem is liberty, self-respect, and growth to the black Americans. The poet claims that even though he is a black brother, he has a right to be a patriotic of America as he can "Sing America". He reveals that though he is "darker" who cannot sit at the table, he should eat in the kitchen.

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The speaker writes the poem to demand equality and patriotism, which is limited by racism. The singer’s tone is arrogant and defiant. He emphasizes on racism that is more pronounced in America. (Feredj & Chaddadi,2017). He speaks about white people being content to ignore. The symbolic of segregation is seen when the speaker is sent to the kitchen to eat.

The beginning statement is allusion as the "I Hear America Singing". He depicts America s a diverse country with different types of jobs. In the second stanza, "eat in the kitchen when the company comes," it is a metaphor for isolation as the black Americans are not allowed to stay with the white people despite them contributing to American culture. (Lloyd,2020). They are separated and denied their rights; this is full of inequality.

The final stanza uses repetition and contrast to convey the topic of racial discrimination and inequality. "I Too, Sing America." The speaker uses imagery when he says the "The day what belongs today, Singing with open mouths their melodious song." He imagines the day happiness will be there to sing the melodious songs with friends.

The action of “eating in the kitchen “symbolizes the oppression of the black people. The title of the poem, “I Too sing America is Walt Whiteman's allusion if the poem "I Hear America singing" the speaker uses a metaphor when he says that 'I am the darker brother" he meant is an African. Personification is revealed by using I, too sing America, because human attributes are represented; this means that everyone is equal despite the color. The black man is also an American citizen.

The writer uses foreshadowing when he says the "rainstorm" to foreshadow the difficult times. It gives the general direction of the poem. Hyperbole is used to show extreme exaggeration, for example, "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse”. (Boase-Beier & Holman,2016) Characterization is indirect as the writer wanted the reader to draw their conclusions. The writer is so persevering as he faces a lot of hardship in America, but later, he does not lose hope. He recites a poem to illustrate the difficulties.

In the poem, the splinter and tacks represent the mother's pain and suffering, the hardship a mother faces in her lifetime. The table used symbolizes respect and equal opportunities. When he comes to the table" tomorrow", he means he will no longer be a second citizen of America, but taken as a full citizen.

In conclusion, the theme of the poem "I Too Sing America, is the Africans to be accepted in America and, they no longer wish to be treated with inequality, and they want equal rights with no discrimination. Freedom is a significant concern, by refusing oppression and slavery the speaker is yearning for the day America will fulfill his promise of freedom.

Reference

Boase-Beier, J., & Holman, M. (Eds.). (2016). The practices of literary translation: constraints and creativity. Routledge.0-559.

Feredj, S., & Chaddadi, S. (2017). Shaping the African American Dream through Langston Hughes’ Poems “I Too” and Let America Be America Again (Doctoral dissertation).

Lloyd, S. (2020). Langston Hughes and the Literary Ca (u) se against Jim Crow. Modern Philology, 117(4), 54