An Analisys of Theme for English B

I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.

I went to school there, then Durham, then here

to this college on the hill above Harlem.

I am the only colored student in my class.

The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem,

through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,

Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y,

the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator

up to my room, sit down, and write this page:

It's not easy to know what is true for you or me

at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what

I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you:

hear you, hear me--we two--you, me, talk on this page.

Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.

I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.

I like a pipe for a Christmas present,

I guess being colored doesn't make me not like

the same things other folks like who are other races.

So will my page be colored that I write?

At first glance, Hughes’ “Theme for English B” seems to be simply the reflections of a young college student on his relationship to his school, home, and surrounding society. Upon closer inspection, the reader realizes that this personal examination reflects not only this one particular relationship between student and surroundings, but also between black men and America as a whole.

Some topics in this essay:
Black Americans, English B”, Bessie Bach, Americans American, Theme English, York Me--who, American Sometimes, Harlem Branch, Walt Whitman, Countee Cullen--Hughes, white professor, write page, hear harlem hear, hear harlem, blackness doesn’t, doesn’t automatically, hear hear, black americans, white line, feel hear harlem, eat sleep, blackness doesn’t automatically, feel hear,