These poems have greatly affected my views and feelings about current controversial issues which are, racism, repression and those born in less fortunate circumstances.
The poem, “I, Too” by Langston Hughes is a cogent poem about racism in America. It is written from the perspective of an African American in the 1920s. The very first line states that he too can “sing America,” meaning that he has the right to feel although he is the “darker brother” who has to hide and eat in the kitchen when company comes. This eating in the kitchen illustrates the racial segregation that was imposed in early 20th century America; where African Americans faced discrimination in nearly every aspect in their lives.
The character however, does not feel despair
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He does this through the use of similes and that the smoke “smothered our little houses like fish caught in a net,” suggesting that the people are trapped in the city like fish in a net, simply awaiting their death. No matter how hard the people struggle, they cannot escape the horrid living conditions they endure.
Stanza three helps iterate the harshness of the conditions. It does so as ravenous dogs are “scavenging” and hence looking for food. This conveys that the people can barely feed themselves let alone the dogs. The dogs “fought fiercely” implying ‘survival of the fittest;’ in these conditions they must battle for every bite. The final line reveals the “squirming bundle,” the food the dogs are eating is alive, as the speaker suddenly realises.
“Infant dumped on a rubbish heap,” allows me to understand how the baby was simply discarded. The line, “Oh! Baby in the manger” alludes the nativity in a stable, to show the contrast between two babies’ lives, one that was well fed and loved, the other that was thrown away onto a rubbish heap. The final two lines, “sleep well on human dung,” is ironic as the speaker wishes a final, peaceful resting place for the baby, but the place is disgusting and