Poem Theme for English B
James Mercer Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His
parents, James Hughes and Carrie Langston, separated soon after his birth, and his father
moved to Mexico. While Hughes’s mother moved around during his youth, Hughes was
raised primarily by his maternal grandmother, Mary, until she died in his early teens. From
that point, he went to live with his mother, and they moved to several cities before eventually
settling in Cleveland, Ohio. It was during this time that Hughes first began to write poetry,
and that one of his teachers first introduced him to the poetry of Carl Sandburg and Walt
Whitman, both whom Hughes would later cite as primary influences. Langston Hughes
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His residence
was given landmark status by the New York City Preservation Commission and East 127th
Street was renamed “Langston Hughes Place.”
I enjoyed reading Langston Hughes poetry, because I could relate to some of his
Story lines. As I was reading this poem it made me feel what the speaker was feeling, it
engaged me in the situation and what was happening; I could relate on a personal level.
That is way I enjoyed it so much because I felt a connection with the speaker in this poem.
The speaker is a college student, but he is not Langston Hughes. The speaker in the poem
talks about being proud of what we are as human beings, proud of our roots and embracing
them no matter what, mainly pointing out that the color of someone’s skin does not make a
difference, what makes a difference among people is what we truly are, and what we feel or
like. The imagery used in this poem gives the reader a clear picture of the place, time and
situation. It provides the reader with the tools to not just read but also feel what is happening.
The poem was written in 1951, during the Jim Crow Era; it connected the contrast
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I like to work, read, learn, and understand
life.” and “I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like the same things other folks like
who are other races.” (Hughes, 1951, line 21-22). The student is telling the readers that he
enjoys doing the simple things in life, which a lot of people like to do regardless of race.
Liking the same thing is a symbol of common humanity. Common humanity wasn’t so easily
established in Hughes’ lifetime, when prejudice ran rampant and blacks were looked down on
by many as different, and lower class.
“So will my page be colored that I write?” and “Being me, it will not be white.” (Hughes,
1951, line 30-31). There’s the difference between a page that was written by a white person,
and a page that was written by a black person. The word “colored” is integral to the word
play, wondering if there are differences in the truth for black and white people. How might
that difference affect, the way black and white people see the world and express their views.
“You are white-yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.” (Hughes, 1951, line 34-35).
Despite being from different races, these two people can be a part of each other’s lives in