The poem: I Too, Sing, America by Langston Hughes
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.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am 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.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
Poetic Techniques used in this poem
Langston Hughes in I, Too, Sing America, creates the persona of a proud black person who is in service to the white people. He is basically saying that you mistreat me now but in the future I will be equal with you and we’ll se who’s laughing then. When he says, “I, Too, sing America” he’s saying I am also rejoicing because in the future we will be equal.
The word brother conveys this sense of equality. He is using a household analogy to convey his message, which refers to all African Americans. He uses a defiant tone in stanza 1 lines 3-6 where he explains that while the white men are partying he is building up his strength and resilience.
In the second half of the poem he says that white people will look back on the time when they treated us like this and they will be ashamed. The use of the second person you is referring to the whole Anglo Saxon race and is shocking to the reader. We still admire him because he is so proud of the African American Race.
The word brother conveys this sense of equality. He is using a household analogy to convey his message, which refers to all African Americans. He uses a defiant tone in stanza 1 lines 3-6 where he explains that while the white men are partying he is building up his strength and resilience.
In the second half of the poem he says that white people will look back on the time when they treated us like this and they will be ashamed. The use of the second person you is referring to the whole Anglo Saxon race and is shocking to the reader. We still admire him because he is so proud of the African American Race.
About the poet
Langston Hughes was born in 1902. When he was young, his dad split from his mum and moved to Cuba to escape racist aggressors. His grandparents brought him up until he was a teenager. He moved to Cleveland, Ohio to live with his mum and her partner. Once he graduated school, he did a course in literature at the Lincoln University. His most famous poem “the Negro speaks of rivers” is published in 1921 but is not discovered till later in his life. In 1923, briefly works on-board the SS Malone, which went to West Africa and it, was here where Langston Hughes learnt about his culture and people. Langston Hughes was discovered by a senior poet in 1924 while in Washington DC. From 1920- 1940 he wrote success full poems, plays and books. He becomes known as an African American rights activist. He died in 1967 from Prostate cancer. Langston Hughes left a massive impact on African American protest literature