I, Too, Sing America is telling the reader a story about an African-American man who decided for himself that he would never conform to white people. He wants to be equal with them. The speaker doesn¡¯t want to feel like a servant anymore. This poem is addressed to all African-American people living in the United States at that time. The speaker wants these people to listen to his voice of rebellion. The speaker has always ate in the kitchen. But tomorrow he wants to eat in the dinning room when guest will come to the house. By doing this he is showing to all African-Americans that they have to stand up for their rights. He wants all of them to feel more motivated in their actions, and not be afraid to express their thoughts.
The poem consists of enjambed lines, which create a lot of tension. Speaker wants his audience to follow him. He also wants his words to sound more important by doing these line breaks. This poem is written i
n a low diction. The speaker uses very simple words, even slang in expressing his ideas. One of the reasons is why Langston Hughes used this kind of diction is to make this poem available to everybody, educated and not. The poet repeats phrases like ¡°¡eat in the kitchen¡± and ¡°¡company comes¡± in the first and second stanza. In the first stanza speaker always did what his master told him to do, but in the second stanza he refuses to eat in the kitchen when company comes.
These two poems express problems and thoughts of African-American community in the 1920s. Two poems addressed to people living in this community. They should give their readers hope for better life.
Example Essays Home
