I, Too is a poem written by Langston Hughes in 1926. This poem is told through the eyes of a black man. The black man has no choice but to eat in the kitchen when company is over. Although the black man is treated poorly, he does not lose faith. The black man believes that one day he will be allowed to eat at the table and nobody will be able to deny him of that right. The black man is optimistic about his future. At the end of the poem the black man leaves the reader with a strong statement, “I, too, am, America”. Langston Hughes does a magnificent job in I, Too by displaying the speaker’s voice, symbolism, and imagery.
To begin with, the speaker’s voice alters throughout the poem. In the second and third line, the speaker says, I am the …show more content…
For example, the first line says, I, too sing America (1). In my opinion sing symbolizes live. The narrator is saying that he bleeds for America, but at the same time he is frustrated by all the mistreatment he is enduring. The narrator expresses how he should not be treated unfairly because he is from the same land as his oppressors. In the third line, the narrator symbolizes the kitchen as a place for the less important. The kitchen can also represent the narrator’s pain or resentment. The narrator does not want to be in the “kitchen” for the rest of his life. When the narrator mentions company, he is referring to the white Americans that view black people as less then them. The narrator is aware that the company is more superior than he is. Another symbol in the poem is “tomorrow” which the narrator is referring as the future. The narrator says, tomorrow, / I’ll be at the table (8-9). In lines eight and nine, the narrator does not literally mean that tomorrow he will sit at the table, instead, he means that someday in the future he will have his rights as an American. The table symbolizes freedom and respect. The narrator believes that one day he will be free and treated equally just like the white folks in America. Beautiful is also a symbol which can represent the narrator’s worth. They’ll see how beautiful I am (16). In line sixteen, the narrator is telling the audience that he is worthy. Through out the poem there are are key words which symbolize the narrator’s
To begin with, the speaker’s voice alters throughout the poem. In the second and third line, the speaker says, I am the …show more content…
For example, the first line says, I, too sing America (1). In my opinion sing symbolizes live. The narrator is saying that he bleeds for America, but at the same time he is frustrated by all the mistreatment he is enduring. The narrator expresses how he should not be treated unfairly because he is from the same land as his oppressors. In the third line, the narrator symbolizes the kitchen as a place for the less important. The kitchen can also represent the narrator’s pain or resentment. The narrator does not want to be in the “kitchen” for the rest of his life. When the narrator mentions company, he is referring to the white Americans that view black people as less then them. The narrator is aware that the company is more superior than he is. Another symbol in the poem is “tomorrow” which the narrator is referring as the future. The narrator says, tomorrow, / I’ll be at the table (8-9). In lines eight and nine, the narrator does not literally mean that tomorrow he will sit at the table, instead, he means that someday in the future he will have his rights as an American. The table symbolizes freedom and respect. The narrator believes that one day he will be free and treated equally just like the white folks in America. Beautiful is also a symbol which can represent the narrator’s worth. They’ll see how beautiful I am (16). In line sixteen, the narrator is telling the audience that he is worthy. Through out the poem there are are key words which symbolize the narrator’s