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Comparing I, Too Sing America And I Hear America Singing

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In American poetry, Langston Hughes’s “I, Too Sing America” and Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing” are significant pieces that delve into the core of America from unique yet interrelated perspectives. Both poets provide profound reflections on America’s essence, touching upon themes such as inclusivity, identity, and the American Dream. This essay will carefully analyze and place these side by side, or, in other words, appose these poems, emphasizing both their commonalities and lack of similarities, with the aim of synthesizing insights to enrich our comprehension of American identity. Similarities:.. Both Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman depict America as a nation characterized by its diversity and unity, celebrating the multitude of voices and experiences that contribute to its identity. Meaning, the two poets offer contrasting yet complementary characterizations of America. They also characterize America as a land of promise and opportunity. Langston Hughes was a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, and Walt Whitman, a typical American poet. Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing “ portrays a sense of collective harmony, illustrating the varied occupations and individuals that collectively form the vibrant tapestry of American life. According to Folsom (1994), his …show more content…

Dudley 2019 noted that every one of these occurrences acts as a pivotal point in the ongoing discourse concerning racial dynamics in the U.S.. Hughes’s plea for acknowledgement and empowerment reverberates within movements advocating for racial justice and fairness, as marginalized groups persist in asserting their rights and advocating for systemic transformation. Likewise, Whitman’s portrayal of America as a unified collage of diverse voices underscores the importance of embracing differences and fostering connections in a society marked by increasing

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As the world turns round and round, America stays the land of the free and in their patriotic poems, Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes show the greatness of the present and the potential of the future and equality of separate parties. WaltWhitman's poem was made circa 1860, just before the Civil War broke out over slavery. Langston Hughes poem “I, T oo, Sing America” was made in 1945, ten years before the CivilRights Movement

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Langston Hughes he feel negative about the America. He make this poem sound very emotional for the read people. In the poem he alway repeat “I never was America to me”. He wants his land be a liberty, opportunity and equality for his land he live in. But he has never experienced freedom in America.

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Some would say the American dream is to live in place without all the violence and a drama free neighbourhood . Even though both Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes discuss the American dream, they also have many similarities and one factor that impacted the poems. Both Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes were famous poets who had an American dream, but they had varied dreams they both were passionate about their poems. Walt Whitman had an American dream. In his dream, everyone was happy, singing and satisfied with their jobs.

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Langston Hughes’ poem Let America be America Again is a profound article of work from mid-1930’s America. Hughes begins by declaring a wish for America to go back and become what it once was, a land where people from across the world would migrate to, searching for a home that they could be free in. Hughes longs for the return of a country where dreams could flourish, instead of remaining unfulfilled. Yet, he states throughout the poem that America was never America to him. This showcases how dreams never stood a chance for African-Americans like Hughes, where, in this time, there was still segregation and little hope for citizens like him.

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874 Words | 4 Pages

The poem “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes is an argument for racial equality that describes the struggle of an African American individual being included in American patriotism. In the poem, the speaker describes that he is sent to eat in the kitchen when guests arrive; he eats well, though, so that tomorrow he may join the others at the table. In the last few lines Hughes describes that “they” in the poem will eventually see the speaker’s beauty and feel embarrassed, because he, “too, is America.” My initial problem in analyzing the poem was that I assumed that the images in the work had to represent something else metaphorically, specifically when considering the second and third stanzas of the poem, which contain a juxtaposition

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314 Words | 2 Pages

Walt Whitman's writing is very joyful and describes America as a place where everyone sings and has a good time. Everyone is working and doing their jobs, everyone is "Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs" as Whitman states. America may seem like a perfect and amazing place where everyone is so nice to you, but not everyone has this

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648 Words | 3 Pages

Poetry, perhaps more than other genre of writing, often sparks controversy and discussion. Authors Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes are two authors in American Literature whose poetry is both debated and praised by critics. "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman and "I, Too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes have sparked many discussions on their controversial content. Walt Whitman was the first of the two authors to write, followed by Langston Hughes who was influenced by Whitman's work. While Whitman's poem, "I Hear America Singing" reflects the happiness of the American people, the poem written by Hughes takes a different approach.

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Numerous famous writers and other well-known individuals read and originate inspiration from Walt Whitman’s poems. Various American poets mention Walt Whitman is an inspiration for their creation, indicating appreciation for his pioneering fundamental originality along with the frequently scandalous themes he focused on. “Like Walt Whitman, he heard America singing, and he asserted his rights to sing America black...” (Hughes 870). Therefore, it’s clear that Langston Hughes was profoundly influenced by the work of Walt Whitman.

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In the narrative of the American Dream, there are three main steps: starting at the bottom, working hard, and gaining successful. In “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman, “I, Too” by Langston Hughes, and “A Forest Walk” from A Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Whitman, Hughes, and Hawthorne use the motif of building and work to illuminate the mainstream and marginalized viewpoints of the American Dream’s effect on society. In “I Hear America Singing,” Whitman uses kinetic imagery with gerundive verbs and the symbol of songs to enforce the belief in America’s opportunities are available to anyone who works hard and to emphasize the strong unity of the American society. In the poem, Whitman uses enumeration and lists many occupations.

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In the two poems, “I Hear America Singing,” and, “I, Too,” there are many similarities and differences that show us that know matter what is happening you have to stand up for yourself and do what you love. We see this in the two poems, “I Hear America Singing,” and, “I, Too” when the authors, Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes, both talk about what America was a like in the 1900s, and how people were doing jobs that they had liked to do. We can see how a African American man would stand up for himself and we see this in the poem “I, Too” because we are able to see how he was able to stand up to everyone else and prove he was able to be treated like anyone else.

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739 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout his poem Let America Be America Again, Langston Hughes uses many literary devices such as extended metaphors, repetition and rhyme to emphasize the various emotions he associates with America. He begins with “let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be.” (1-2) and goes on to say “O, let my land be a land where Liberty is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, but opportunity is real, and life is free, equality is in the air we breathe. (There’s never been equality for me, nor freedom in this ‘homeland of the free’.)”

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208 Words | 1 Pages

In Walt Whitman's poem, I Hear America Singing, patriotism is expressed through the celebration of the American people and their diverse backgrounds. The poem is a tribute to the hard-working citizens of the United States, and how they all contribute to the nation's success. Whitman's use of imagery and language paints a picture of a nation united in its patriotism and love for its country. The poem begins with the line, "I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,"(510) which conveys the idea that the nation is unified in its patriotism, with each person singing their unique song. This is further emphasized by the description of the different people singing, from the mechanic to the boatman, showing that patriotism is not limited to

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773 Words | 4 Pages

Langston Hughes is an African-American poet whose poems and short stories are based off of his own experiences as a slave during the early to mid-20th century. Langston Hughes’ most notable poems, “Let America Be America Again”, “I, Too, Sing America”, and “A Dream Deferred”, represent not only Langston Hughes’ viewpoint on segregation and discrimination, but also show how his perspective of Civil Rights changed somewhat throughout the years. As Langston Hughes grew older, his poems became more symbolic, less blunt, and shorter to better represent African Americans’ struggle and strength. The first poem, “Let America Be America Again”, was written in 1935 and is the longest and most direct about its delivery.

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558 Words | 3 Pages

A stimulating and rousing ideal, the American Dream is a symbol of America’s promise and the possibilities within her borders. Compelling far-off foreigners to cross the dark and blue oceans decades ago, the American Dream has become an enthralling controversy for films, plays and books to exhibit and question. A famous example of the exploration of the American Dream lies in two beautifully written poems by two critically acclaimed poets, Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman. Hughes’ “Let America be America Again” and Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing” are fascinating poems by legendary poets.

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The tone of “I, Too, Sing America” is resistant and determined .This poem is written from the point of view of a darker man. The poet 's attitude towards America is self-assured. He may not be white, but he is confident in himself that he is just as great and equal to any other race out there. The poet says, “They send me to the kitchen, when company comes.

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