Langston Hughes

Theme for English B
--I find it interesting that he actually wrote this when he was 50. It is so convincing that he is a student, I would never have known. The line with the most impact, to me, is "So will my page be colored that I write?" I think that really sums up the reason behind his poem.

Negro Speaks of Rivers
--There is a recording of Langston Hughes actually reading his poem online, and he also gives a little background information. His grandma had said that "To be sold along the Mississippi River is one of the worst things." All the rivers that he speaks of have symbolic influence, for example, the Euphrates is also mentioned. This river was a part of the beginning of civilization, so it puts black people at the beginning of civilization. This poem is introspective, and powerful when stating, "My soul has grown deep like the rivers."

I, Too
--I saved this poem for last, because it is my favorite of Hughes' poems that we have read in class. It shows his faith that colored people will eventually be recognized as Americans too. This is very prophetic, as we mentioned in class, because it was written in 1926, long before civil rights. I admire the fact that he "laughs, eats well, and grows strong," even though his circumstances are unfortunate. I like the optimistic view toward America, even though he still is not accepted as an American. He IS American though, and therfore he is beautiful, just as the song "America the Beautiful" suggests. Hughes wants everyone to see that within him, because he has already learned it for himself.

introspective- to look into or examine one's own internal state, or feelings