I, Too, Sing America----- Summary-1925

In this short poem, the speaker begins by claiming that he, too, "sing[s] America" (1). He goes on to note that he is "the darker brother" (2), referring to his skin color, and then makes reference to the fact that he is sent "to eat in the kitchen / when company comes" (3-4), as if he were a black slave in a white household. The oppression, however, doesn't stop him from laughing and growing strong. Then the speaker envisions a future in which he is no longer sent to the kitchen, in which no one would dare to call him unequal. They will see him as beautiful and "be ashamed" (17) at their previous prejudice. It shows a tone of anger, strength & determination. It shows the ability to persevere despite unequal conditions in America. The poet stresses upon the importance of racial equality. The poem concludes with the speaker asserting, again, that he (and, therefore, his race) is indeed American.

As far as the "too" is concerned, see Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing," the poem which some scholars think inspired Hughes's poem. In Whitman's poem, he lists all sorts of different Americans carpenters, mechanics, boatmen, shoemakers, a girl sewing and says that all of them are singing. 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. So maybe Langston Hughes's speaker is imagining Americans as a big chorus, all singing together, and he's saying he's part of the chorus too. He's also singing this song of America. It is also Americas National Anthem which shows unity of the country.

I Too Sing America is about slavery and how African- American black people were treated badly. Although its about this, the narrator gives out a positive impact on the read, too which makes them think about how they can hope for the future. '' But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong '' This doesn't only suggest that he is getting stronger physically but also mentally which states that he doesn't take the slavery personal and hopes for tomorrow and he knows that tomorrow will be better and he believes that slavery will be stopped, and white people will see how beautiful his people are and appreciate them. It is also how colour doesnt mean anything and they all are the same and also is about how America unites and how everyone is family even if they have a different skin tone, they are all brothers and sisters and the family that makes America. It spells of optimism, faith & hope. "I, Too, Sing America" expresses a certain inequality that African Americans felt during the time of racial discrimination. This poem also conveys the fact that despite the differences of color, all people living in America are Americans and have the right to be treated equally. This poem talks about a black mans wishes and hopes to live a life with equality. The introduction of the second verse, "I am the darker brother." tells the reader that he considers himself as equal and important as any member of the family. The following lines of the second verse, "They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, and eat well, and grow strong." Those lines are his declaration of humor and sense of ironic humor. This verse has an ironic humor which is barely noticeable.

Hughes has expressed his feelings towards racism through vivid imagery.

1. How does this poem make you think about what it means to be an American? How is "America" presented in this poem, and how does it make you feel about America? 2. What effect does the intensely domestic imagery of the poem the house, the kitchen, the eating, the table have on the themes of this piece as a whole? 3. What kind of character is the speaker? How do you feel about him as a spokesperson for American citizenry? 4. There are many different ways in which the speaker of this poem relates to "the other" (i.e., the white Americans) here. It's more than just "these people don't like these other people" can you identify the whole range of emotions? How do these emotions make the piece more complicated? 5. What relationship does the historical setting of this poem have to Hughes's contemporary setting? That is, how does the poem manage to work on two levels America in the time of slavery and America in the first half of the 20th century? How are those two time periods similar? How are they different?