https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Q3E_PIh2g
Theme for English B by Langston Hughes
The persona’s lecturer gave him an assignment to write a page that
reflects ‘him’, or his character. The persona wonders if this is a simple task,
and begins to think about his life. Things like his age, place of birth, race
and place of residence. Based on these musings, he surmises that he is confused
due to his youth. He guesses that he is what he feels, sees and hears, which is
Harlem, New York. He continues his musing about what he likes, and concludes
that he likes the same things that people of other races like. On this basis,
he questions whether or not his page will be influenced by race. He concludes
that it will not be white. He admits that his instructor, as well as the fact
that this instructor is white, will have some influence on his page. He states
that they both influence each other, that is what being American is about. He
believes that both of them might not want to influence each other, but it
cannot be helped. He concludes that both of them will learn from each other,
despite the fact that the instructor has the advantage of being older, white
and ‘more free’. All of these musings and conclusions become his page for
English B.
LITERARY DEVICES
1.RHETORICAL QUESTION
Stanza 2, line 6: The persona ponders the ease of what he is
asked to do. This question, in turn, actually highlights the difficult nature
of the task.
Stanza 3, line24: This question highlights the persona’s
confusion as to who he is, or his character. He is unsure.
Stanza 4, line 32: The persona is wondering whether his race
will affect what he writes on the page. This is despite the fact that he
concludes that race does not hinder people, in general, liking the same things.
- REPETITIONThis repetition emphasizes
the profound impact that Harlem, New York, has had on the personality of
the persona.
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES
3.’here to this college on the hill above Harlem.’
The fact that the college is on a hill, above Harlem, is very important.
It highlights the fact that the college is a superior entity. The people of
Harlem look up at it, showing their inferiority.
4.’I am the only colored student in the class.’
This line emphasizes the persona’s ‘otherness’ in relation to every-one
else in the class. He is different. The isolation of the sentence (enclosed by
full stops/periods) also emphasizes the persona’s ‘otherness’.
5.’The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, through a park, then I
cross St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem
Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room’
This line highlights the fact that the college is a great distance from
his home. This distance is also metaphorical because it is implied that the
experiences that he has at the college are also a great distance from the
experiences that he has in Harlem. They are two different worlds.
6.’But it will be a part of you, instructor. You are white – yet a part
of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American.’
This statement reveals the fact that America is viewed as a melting pot
by the persona. He believes that different races and cultures influence each
other, thereby forming the term ‘American’.
7.As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me – although you’re older
– and white – and somewhat more free.
This statement, by the persona, repeats his belief that the American
society is a melting pot. It also, however, states that not every-one is equal
within this society.
* It is interesting to note that the persona’s ‘page for English B’
becomes a journey of self discovery that actually does not end. He forms no
conclusion as to who he is because his personality is still ‘in process’
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE The mood of the poem is reflective.
TONE The tone of the poem is also reflective.
THEMES: Racism, places
Other sources
The
poem “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes depicts a black young adult who
is attempting to figure out what is true in his life via an English assignment.
As the only black man in his college English class, the speaker is not sure
whether to take on the persona of a typical English student, regardless of
race, or to stay true to his heritage and culture. The structure of this poem
conveys a struggle for identity and truth in a fast-paced world whose ideas are
constantly changing.
The poem begins with a quote
from the speaker’s English instructor, claiming that any piece written from the
heart will automatically be true. However, in the next stanza, the speaker
expresses doubts about his instructor’s advice. He lists facts about himself
that set him apart from his classmates, including the fact that he is the only
African American man in his class and that he resides in Harlem (Hughes 10-11).
In the third stanza, the speaker then switches to expressing traits he knows to
be similar between himself and his classmates, “I like to eat, sleep, drink,
and be in love. / I like to work, read, learn, and understand life” (Hughes
21-22). By showing that he has things in common with his peers, even though
they are very different at first glance, the speaker is depicting his dilemma
at figuring out who he is and how he fits in with the world. He is both a part
of Harlem and a part of a mostly white English class: “I guess I’m what / I
feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you” (Hughes 17-18). While he holds onto
his African American culture, he also acknowledges that it does not define him
as a person: “I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like / the same
things other folks like who are other races” (Hughes 25-26). The speaker comes
to the conclusion that although he is different from his peers in some ways,
they are all Americans with common likes and purposes. Therefore, he, his
classmates, and his instructor will all learn from each other, increasing the
diversity, richness, and truth that they can discover because, although they
have parallels, everyone can bring a different perspective, or their own truth,
to the table to share.
I find this poem very easy to
relate to both for myself and any other young adult or college student who is
still trying to figure out how to relate to other people in “real life”. It can
sometimes be hard to find commonalities with new acquaintances, especially when
my peers and I come from such diverse and varying backgrounds. While I have
lived in a very small, sheltered, suburban town for my entire life, I have met
people in college from almost every state and every situation imaginable. It
can be overwhelming and easy to recede back into one’s comfort zone of easily
stated facts, such as race and hometown. However, if one digs a little deeper,
it is not hard to find small similarities like the speaker in the poem does: “I
like to work, read, learn, and understand life” (Hughes 22). I find myself
surrounded by active, engaging people who pursue a multitude of topics, some
similar to my own interests and others that I have never even pondered. I feel
as if Langston Hughes encapsulates my exact sentiments on the matter of
diversity when he writes, “As I learn from you, / I guess you learn from me”
(Hughes 37-38). Rather than isolating ourselves, we can choose to find similarities
among our peers, creating a rich environment with many perspectives from which
to learn while seeking truth and knowledge.
Works Cited
Hughes, Langston. “Theme for
English B.” 1949.
questions
1.
What is the significance of
the title of the poem?
2.
State the autobiographical
details of the persona.
3.
What is the significance of
the the location of the college is above’ above Harlem’?
4.
What is ‘Y’?What is its
function?
5.
How would you describe the
persona?
6.
Identify the rhetorical
questions and describe their significance.
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