America in Black and White

Langston Hughes was an important and defining figure of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s up to the 1930s, a decade of great activity in the Afro-American humanities scene. Hughes was know for the rhythm, jazz and blues, of his poetry. The theme of his poetry is mostly on the breeding experiences of the African-American. In his Theme for English B, Hughes expresses the reality in the disparity of existence unforgiving among Whites. In the first stanza, the professors assignment was ad hoc and defined which was to pull through a page about oneself. It was a disagreement from the usual rigid English lessons, like classical verses.Writing about oneself was more loose and relaxed. Hughes use iambic quatrain to taunt the rigidity of the instruction. Hughes made it known from the beginning that scholar and professor were different. The student thought the assignment over, and wondered if it was light-colored writing about oneself. Hughes used the free-verse style on rest of the verse to contrast the earlier quatrain. Alliteration and Assonance in line of products 7, I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem had the jazz sounds of Harlem. Here, Hughes bared that the student was Black and therefore the professor was White.When he combined two vowel sounds in Line 10, I am the as yet colored student in my class Hughes indicated how strongly the student felt about creation Black. Hughes used metaphors to de none Black with Harlem, 8th Avenue, 7th Street and Harlem Branch Y, places where there was heavy African-American population. There was a noticeable change in the order of the I from Lines 6, 7, 8 and 10, such as, I wonder / I am twenty-two / I went to school there / I am the only to Lines 12-14 then I cross / and I set about / where I come /. The I used to start off the lines, they now end off the lines.Such shock was a symbolical of the place the Black took in society. The symbolism of approach from African-American places goin g upwards to the school on the hill and taking the elevator to his room at the Y told of the students efforts to advert the level of the Whites. It must be recalled in Line 6 that the student had doubts I wonder if its that simple? referring to the assignment. Now at Line 16, he was sure that It is not easy to know what is true for you or me. Hughes at this point now came with the you together with the me. With I feel and gather up and hear, Harlem, I hear you hear you, hear me we two you me, talk on this page (Lines18-19) the student was not just writing about himself scarcely of the whole African-American people. The sound of the assonance was strong like the tumult for equality. In Lines 21-26, the student cried out that he, in many ways, was like a white man with the same wants and aspirations in life. Hughes metaphors for gifts like pipe to represent growing old, Bessie for Blues, Bop for Jazz, and Bach for the classical and Baroque music.The student wrote that the Af rican-American also wanted the things the White man enjoyed. Hughes subtly presented the issue of racism by completely leaving out the assonance, instead, the student was introspective when he asked So will my page be colored that I write? (Line 27). Despite the absence of the assonance, Hughes was still able to convey what the student wanted to experience life, like the Whites do, until he is old when he smokes his pipe and hear to good music. The professor and the student were a contrast from the start, with conflicts in between.Hughes frame a common ground in Lines 31-33 You are white / yet part of me, as I am part of you. / Thats American. He followed it up with Lines 37-38 As I take in from you, I guess you learn from me Hughes tried to make his readers see that the equalizer comes in both their be Americans. Theme for English B gives a very light treatment, being a free verse, of a compelling issue such as racism. The readers are able to internalize the poem through its rhythm. The tone of the poem is reflective as it is assertive with the use of the poetic voice of I coming as it is from someone who has a personal stake on the issue.Hughes was excellent in the use of a page for a firearm in an English B class, where the student would use black ink to write on a white sheet of writing paper. The symbolisms accurately portrayed the issue in the poem that Blacks and Whites despite their difference should not be opposing colors of America. They will both write narrative and define their future as Americans. References Hughes, L. (1951). Theme for English B. Retrieved April 25, 2009 from http//www. eecs. harvard. edu/keith/poems/English_B. html