Symbolism In Harlem And I, Too By Langston Hughes

In the poem, “I, Too”, by Langston Hughes, the general topic deals with issues concerning racism and oppression within America, and how it will no longer be tolerated. Upon reading this poem, if you are taking it at face-value, it seems that it doesn’t mean very much. It appears that is a bland poem, lacking deeper meaning. Specifically, it is a man talking about he is not allowed to dine with other people and that he must eat by himself.

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.

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

In Langston Hughes' poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", he examines some of the roles that blacks have played throughout history. Ultimately, the poem asserts that in every one of these aspects the black people have been exploited and made to suffer, mostly at the hands of white people. The poem is written entirely in first person, so there is a very personal tone, even though the speaker symbolizes the entire black race. The examples of each role cited in the poem are very specific, but they allude to greater indignities, relying on the readers' general knowledge of world history. To convey the injustice that has taken place, Hughes utilizes the symbolism of the

Thesis statement: Hughes wrote this when Jim Crow laws were still imposing an bitter segregated society in the South. There were still lynchings of innocent African Americans, there was no Civil Rights Movement, there was no Civil Rights legislation yet, and Blacks couldn't eat at lunch counters in the South. Harlem, however, was not at all like the South in terms of blatant, legal segregation. However, racism was very much in place in many places in America. Blacks were second class citizens, their children attended schools that were ill-equipped, and the dreams of Black citizens were not being realized in this period.

Langston Hughes was a successful African-American poet of the Harlem renaissance in the 20th century. Hughes' had a simple and cultured writing style. "Harlem" is filled with rhythm, jazz, blues, imagery, and evokes vivid images within the mind. The poem focuses on what could happen to deferred dreams. Hughes' aim is to make it clear that if you postpone your dreams you might not get another chance to attain it--so take those dreams and run. Each question associates with negative effects of deferred dreams. The imagery from the poem causes the reader to be pulled in by the writer's words.

Langston Hughes’ uses metaphor in “I, Too” to convey a sense of rejection in society, leading to the speaker’s isolation in the poem. The speaker explains how his skin color darker than the rest of the population, he is sent into the kitchen to eat. The speaker says, “I am the darker brother./ They send me to eat in the kitchen/ When company comes,/ But I laugh,/ And eat well,/ and grow strong” (page 14). The speaker refers to darker brother in the poem as the African American population. He also refers “they” in the poem as the white population. By comparing “darker brother” and “they” to African American and the white population, the speaker shows how during this time many African Americans faced oppression by the other party. The poem reveals how many African Americans were discriminated and how they were undermined by the whites, from the speaker’s explanation of how he was forced to eat in the kitchen instead of being able to dine at the dining table. This also reveals the heavy unwelcome attitude African Americans faced in society, because their skin tones were a shade darker than the rest. This proves how an individual, like the speaker is isolated because the way he was forced to eat in the kitchen is a representation of the white society rejecting an African American to be at the same social standing as them. This further exemplifies the speaker’s

Dreams are hopes that people hope to accomplish in their lifetime. When trying to achieve these goals, people are willing to do anything. But, what happens when a dream is deferred? A dream pushed aside can disappoint a person in the deepest way. It is likely to spread throughout their thoughts and becomes a burden. In the poem “Harlem,” Langston Hughes, through literary devices, introduce a strong theme through a short amount of language Hughes is asking what happens to a dream that is being put off.

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.

“One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all” (4 USC Sec. 4). In America every human being should have the right for justice. Black, Asian, Hispanic, Indian, and other races should all be equal. Working hard, getting an education, and fighting for what is right are what make a true American. In “I, Too,” Langston Hughes discusses the theme of racial equality through the use of metaphor, symbolism, and imagery.

“Harlem” by Langston Hughes explains the importance of following your dreams. In the poem, Hughes explains that if you ignore a dream it will slowly get less and less appealing to you until it goes away completely. Hughes writes, “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” (Lines 1-3). Langston Hughes uses this simile to explain to the reader that your ambitions can’t be forgotten about because they will deteriorate and turn into nothing. Hughes also says, “Or fester like a sore and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat?” (Lines 4-6). In this comparison, Hughes uses a sore and rotten meat to show the reader that a dream that is neglected can fill you with regret until you cannot take it anymore. If you

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.

As civil rights and theories of equality emerged, art and literature by the African American populace started to present and showcase the new ideas. One example of an author with an agenda for equality was Langston Hughes, a black artist who wrote and conducted numerous works for the sake of educating the public. In his poem I, Too, it reads: “I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then” (Doc 4). It is clearly evident that Hughes wrote this to incite hope for an equal society, since the era that he lived in put blacks in a lower position than whites. With freedom of speech, anybody could have voiced their concerns through words on paper, and that became the new normal for Americans in a time of changeable

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 two poems by Langston Hughes “Theme for English B” and “ I, Too” both identify racism that permeates all stations of life. In both texts, Hughes represents the two speakers as African Americans and identifies how one tries to elevate himself through education and the other individual remains trapped at a lower station. In the poem “Theme for English B” skin colour and all that it represents emerges when the speaker searches for his identity as well as what is the truth about his abilities. The speaker expresses his view in how he deals with his white counterparts (the instructor). “I, Too” centers on the idea of racial oppression, looking at how whites do not recognize blacks as equals and how this affects the individual. Yet the texts attempt to show the basic human similarities between African Americans and white people despite their perceived differences and societal segregation. The two speakers within the poems struggle with their own self-worth in relation to their colour. The similarity between the two speakers is that they approach their issues confident in their capabilities and futures. The two speakers differ in that they appear to have different stations in life; servitude versus achieving higher education, yet both struggle with self-worth.