Write 5 pages thesis on the topic comparison of two poems: i hear america singing by walt whitman and i, too by langston hughes.
Write 5 pages thesis on the topic comparison of two poems: i hear america singing by walt whitman and i, too by langston hughes. In the piece entitled I Hear America Sing, Whitman essentially discusses laborers of different trades, all working at their respective jobs but yet working in unison. This is done somewhat, through the personification of the group as a whole versus the individuals who make up the group. This can be almost attributed to a communist type of thought where everyone is a member of the overall big picture. It is a well-known fact that Whitman embraced the idea of preserving and celebrating humanity, and thus it makes sense for some of his work to reflect a lot of this ideology. Whitman is obviously displaying an empathetic viewpoint towards the working man and woman which as a unit, composes America as he knew it.
The poet Langston Hughes reflects a response to Whitman’s poem with his won entitled I, Too. There is no doubt that Hughes intended to get his point across to his readers by catching them in the first line of the first stanza, “I, too sing America”(Hughes, 1). This line is a response to Whitman’s first line of I Hear America Sing which reads, “I hear America sing”(Whitman, 1). The next line of Hughes’ piece declares, “I am the darker brother”(Hughes, 2). With this line, Hughes reminds his readers that observation of America as a whole will reveal that there is a sense of forgotten culture or ethnicity which is comprised of African Americans. In other words, Hughes grabs his readers’ attention by pointing out that perhaps the first image one may conjure when they think of America, is one void of any blacks. This is also a reminder that America is not America without cultural diversity which at that time, was not celebrated in any way.
With even more breadth, Hughes continues his poem by explaining that he is directed to eat in the kitchen when guests are present at his employers’ home. Hughes goes on to almost mock the ignorance of racism and segregation by declaring that he will not only eat in the kitchen, but he will do so and enjoy his meal while supplying strength to his body, “They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong.”(Hughes, 3-7). . group.
