I, Too by Langston Hughes
The Norton Anthology American Literature
The theme I am focusing on is slavery. This poem seems to be about wanting freedom and overcoming slavery in the African American race. "They send me to eat in the kitchen" Hughes (1039). In days past, slave owners made their slaves eat dinner in the kitchen so as not to be seen by the owners eating in the fancy dining room, should they have guests or not. It was all about shaming the race.
The way this poem speaks to me is through tone. It is strong and independent sounding. Throughout, the structure is deliberate and the words are placed to make the meaning clear.
The significance of this poem is to address racism, equality and independence through the main point of slavery. This poem is similar to the modernist work "To Elise" by William Carlos Williams(782)
It has short deliberate stanzas that reminds me of "I, Too".
"The pure products of America
Go crazy
Mountain folk from Kentucky" (782)
Langston Hughes was an activist especially in racial justice. This poem at first glance seems simple and easy to read, but when I focused on each line, it made more sense to me what this poem was exactly about. Slavery ran rampant in Missouri and racism still exists in 2017.
The way this poem speaks to me is through tone. It is strong and independent sounding. Throughout, the structure is deliberate and the words are placed to make the meaning clear.
The significance of this poem is to address racism, equality and independence through the main point of slavery. This poem is similar to the modernist work "To Elise" by William Carlos Williams(782)
It has short deliberate stanzas that reminds me of "I, Too".
"The pure products of America
Go crazy
Mountain folk from Kentucky" (782)
Langston Hughes was an activist especially in racial justice. This poem at first glance seems simple and easy to read, but when I focused on each line, it made more sense to me what this poem was exactly about. Slavery ran rampant in Missouri and racism still exists in 2017.
This poem definitely shows the impact of Jim Crow laws and segregation. I appreciate your assessment of the tone as strong and independent--what words and lines help show these qualities?
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