Essay on Hughes

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Essay on Hughes I too sing America
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Choose a poem which reflects on an aspect
of human behaviour in such a way as to
deepen your understanding of human
nature. Describe the aspect of human behaviour
which you have identified and show how the poets
use of ideas and techniques brought you
to a deeper understanding of human nature.
Choose a poem which deals with an aspect of the
less pleasant side of life. Show how the poem
increases your knowledge and understanding of the
aspect of life dealt with, and how the use of
poetic technique contributes to the impact the
poem had on you.
Choose a poem where the poet starts off by
describing an everyday happening or incident and
then goes on to make a deeper or more serious
point about human nature by the end of the
poem. Briefly describe the starting point of the
poem and state what you think is the serious
point made by the end. Now go on to show how
the poets use of poetic techniques deepens your
understanding of the poem.
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What do we need

• POETIC for notes/outline
• Select a couple of points for PEE with evidence
• Draft outline format
• Intro author title refer to question
• Main body tell them
• Conclusion did author achieve aim? Answer the
  question tell them what youve told them
• Give your opinion

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Choose a poem which deals with an aspect of the
less pleasant side of life.
Intro
A poem which deals with an aspect of the less
pleasant side of life is Langston Hughes's poem
about racism I too, sing America which was a
reaction to Walt Whitmans previously published
piece I hear America singing which told of the
pride Whitman felt in his native land. This pride
was not shared by Hughes who points out in his
poem that Whitmans American singers did not
include Negros and other ethnic minorities and
that they were still subject to racism and often
murderous discrimination some 40 years after
Whitmans death. I will examine how Hughes
displays this unpleasant aspect of American
life....
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Purpose
This poem seeks to show that racism at the time
it was written was still the normal state of
affairs for America, particularly in the Deep
South with its regular lynchings by the Klu Klux
Klan and that, for Negroes, life was indeed harsh.
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Organisation
The poem consists of three verses of unequal
length that are framed at the top and bottom by a
single line. At the beginning it is I too, sing
America whereas by the end it has become I too
am America This change of one word is
significant as it shows the transformation in
attitude and tone of the poem as it looks forward
to a better future where ALL, black and white
will be Americans.
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Emotive tone
At the start of this poem, the tone is a mix of
sadness and sarcasm as the author reveals how he
is treated by his employers. He is not a slave
but is still, 70 years after the Civil War and
the emancipation of slaves, treated like one. He
shows how he is treated but the tone changes
halfway through as he expresses his belief that
in a future Tomorrow he WILL be treated as an
equal either because he has become strong and
fought for his rights or because the whites have
become ashamed of their behaviour and unchristian
attitudes. Thus the tone become hopeful rather
than despairing.
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Techniques
Techniques used within the poem include metaphor,
where Tomorrow represents a future time,
perhaps near or more likely, far in the future,
even decades away when all men regardless of
colour will be equal. The tone and word choice
highlight the way the narrator expresses his
despair at his current situation but also shows
his hopes for the future. He says he will eat
well and become strong rather than fight now
but wait until he is stronger either physically
or morally and able to fight for equality.
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I is used to signify the narrator, the Negro,
the darker brother who is perhaps symbolic of
darkness and thus evil, which is why he is
treated thus, and is also sarcastic since he is
clearly not a brother, or treated like one. To
show the social divide at the time he uses They
to describe his masters. This neutral word does
not offer any respect for his so called
superiors they are simply they.
Individual words
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Contrast
There are two main points of contrast within this
short poem. Firstly there is an obvious physical
and racial contrast between the narrator and his
master, one black the other white and the
different way they are treated in front of
visitors. One is hidden away, the other welcomed
as part of the company at the table where
discussion, laughter and conversation will ensue.
The other contrast is in the way the narrator
shows the contrast between the way he is treated
now and how he believes he will be treated in the
future. A minor contrast is the implied fight
between good and evil, light and dark bit in this
case dark is good and light is evil because of
the way the darker brother is treated the
opposite of the Christian ethos where all are
equal before the Lord.