Racism and American Identity
“I, Too” is
a cry of protest against American racism
. Its speaker, a black man, laments the way that he is excluded from American society—even though he is a key part of it.
What is the significance of the title I, Too for Langston Hughes poem?
We get the picture that America is like a song made up of many different voices singing
. So Americans are a kind of chorus, where every person has an important part to sing. Hughes seems to be referencing Whitman's poem and improving it by adding another voice to this song of America – the voice of black Americans.
What is the meaning of dream deferred?
Harlem (A Dream Deferred) Analysis. Hughes begins his poem with a question. “What happens to a dream deferred?” The word, deferred, in this context means
that it is put off or delayed indefinitely
.
What is the main theme of the poem I, Too by Langston Hughes Weegy?
“I, Too” is a poem written by Langston Hughes that
demonstrates a yearning for equality through perseverance while disproving the idea that patriotism is limited by race
.
What historical realities does the poem I, Too reflect?
It embodies that
history at a particular point in the early 20th century
when Jim Crow laws throughout the South enforced racial segregation; and argues against those who would deny that importance—and that presence.
What is the theme of I, Too, Sing America?
In “I, Too, Sing America,”
freedom is the big
goal. By refusing to buckle under the awful pressures of slavery and oppression, the speaker moves ever closer towards eventual freedom and racial equality. He's looking forward to the day America fulfills her promise of freedom.
What is the meaning of the poem A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes?
‘Harlem' (A Dream Deferred) is one of a number of poems Hughes wrote that
relates to the lives of African-American people in the USA
. The short poem poses questions about the aspirations of a people and the consequences that might arise if those dreams and hopes don't come to fruition.
What does Hughes mean by a dream deferred to what dream could he be referring?
The “dream deferred” was
the dream in which all Americans, except blacks, were able to participate
. The American Dream was coming true for white America, especially after WWII, when well-paying jobs were plentiful; and a house, a car, appliances, vacations, and higher education were affordable.
What happens to a dream deferred by Langston Hughes?
— Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred? Does
it dry up like a raisin in the sun
? Or fester like a sore– And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat?
Why is it important that the speaker does not define exactly who they are?
Part B: Why is it important that the speaker does not define exactly who “they” are?
It protects the speaker's relationships by not offending one specific group
. It keeps readers interested in the poem by maintaining their curiosity. It holds the focus of the poem on its subject, which is the speaker himself.
How does the Speaker respond to getting sent away?
he is being treated poorly and is being sent away so that the guests don't see him. It is where the servants eat. How does the speaker respond to this treatment in “I, Too.”?
He laughs and continues to just eat what he has and grow strong
.
What is the tone of poem I, Too?
Langston Hughes's poem “I, Too” is an intergenerational symbol of hope and courage in the face of racism. The tone of the poem is
at times resilient
, expressing Hughes's refusal to let a racist society stunt his growth. It is also hopeful, ruminating upon the bright future that awaits Black people in America.
What does America represent in the first stanza I too sing America?
I, too, am America. Just as he began with a one-line stanza, Hughes ends his poem with one, as well. He writes, “I, too, am America.” While the first line could possibly represent
the patriotism he feels as an American
, this declaration is even stronger—he, too, is America.
Who is the narrator in the poem I, Too what is the significance?
The setting of the poem is “everywhere America” that believed that black men were not Americans or equal to the white men as human beings. The narration is
first person with the poet as the narrator
. Hughes was considered the foremost of the Harlem Renaissance poets.
What does the kitchen symbolize in the line they send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes?
The speaker is an African American. When the speaker says, “They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes,” who are “they”? “They” represent
white Americans
. … Eating in the kitchen is being compared to racial segregation in America.
The overall beauty and theme of the poem is that the author is
speaking for injustice to the people the got killed for no reason
.
What is the theme or message of a dream deferred Harlem )?
The poem speaks
about the oppression of African-Americans
. The tone suggests that their goals always remain unapproachable and lose their meanings. The speaker feels the burden of these dreams, saying when the burden becomes unbreakable, it will explode.
What does crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet mean?
What does “or crust and sugar over – like a syrupy sweet?” mean? What type of figurative language is it?
Something good has become old and doesn't work anymore
. It is a simile/personification.
Whats does Deferred mean?
Definition of deferred
1 :
withheld for or until a stated time a deferred payment
.
Why is the poem Harlem significant to the black community?
Why was the poem Harlem significant to the Black community? …
It represented the migration of Black Americans to Harlem
. It represented the fulfillment of Black dreams after the Civil War.
What is the meaning of a raisin drying in the sun?
In the poem “Harlem,” by Langston Hughes, he uses a simile “Does it dry up – like a raisin in the sun?” ( Line 2-3) Using this simile, he is expressing that dreaming can be good or bad.
A raisin is a grape that has been dried out by the sun
. Hughes is making known that dreams can suck the.
What happens to a raisin in the sun?
Essays What Does the Ending Mean? A Raisin in the Sun
ends with the Younger family leaving their longtime apartment in Chicago's South Side neighborhood in order to move into a house they've purchased in the otherwise all-white neighborhood of Clybourne Park
.
What is one thing both Hughes and Whitman have in common?
Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes both expressed themselves in
free verse poetry
that often explored similar themes.
What does the speaker say will happen tomorrow I too?
What does the speaker say will happen tomorrow?
He will receive an apology
.
What statement best describes the structure of I Hear America Singing?
Which statement best describes the structure of “I Hear America Singing”?
The poem is loosely structured and contains rhyme.
What is the persona of the speaker in I too sing America?
The persona of the speaker in Hughes' poem “I, Too” is
an African American person, presumably a black man
, since he refers to himself as the…
What is the speaker suggesting in lines 1 and 18 of I too?
What is the speaker suggesting in lines 1 and 18 of “I, Too”?
African Americans are of equal importance to whites in the United States
. … Each poem portrays the feelings and experiences of African Americans.
How would you describe the mood of this poem I too?
The tone of the poem is
pride and defiance
. It speaks of a racial divide in America that white people are perfectly content to ignore. Sending the speaker to the kitchen to eat can be symbolic of segregation, but also of America's desire to ignore the race problem.
What is the literary form of the world is too much with us?
Wordsworth and the Sonnet
Wordsworth's The World is Too Much With Us is
a Petrarchan sonnet
recognizable by the rhyme scheme and the eight/six line format.
What does tomorrow I'll be at the table mean?
By Langston Hughes
This poem works mostly by extended metaphor, and the “tomorrow” here is really alluding to a future time when
blacks and whites will be equal
. This equality is expressed through the speaker's assertion that he, too, will “be at the table” the next time they have a party.
