I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
This poem is about spiritual enlightenment. A slave is able to not only endure, but also grow in strength in the face of adversity.
ReplyDeleteThe speaker within the poem could very well be Hughes himself, given his life and times. He had to face the Jim Crow laws and segregation (being sent to the kitchen) but he envisions a better future (Tomorrow...). Things still aren't perfect today, but I feel like we, as America, have become the "Tomorrow" he envisions, without discrimination or segregation.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is about patriotism because it shows the black man's faith on that one day he WILL be treated equal and will have his time to shine in this contry. He "sings" America because he celebrates his opportunity to make something out of himself and prove that he is just as good as any other American and he again emphisizes this point at the end where is says "I too, am America" which means that he is also part of this country just like any other person.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is about self enlightment... Hughes writes about a situation that could be parallel to his or just parallel to minorities, specifically the black minority.
ReplyDeleteHughes speaks of eating well and growing strong which I think he means getting smarted and psychologically stronger.... then when he is ready he(the african american community)he/they will be able to stand up for themselves and show just how smart and strong they gotten and nobody will be able to put them down.
i think also that this deals wit the whole unlocking of america's potential as a great country, because at that time all those colored americans had to hope for was a better tom because in their day they didnt have much.
ReplyDeleteThis poem has many different ways to see it. In class Chevar talked about being the darker brother in his family and i can totally relate to that. I am the darkest one of my siblings also and sometimes its hard. People have actually asked if i was the nanny and all of my fathers family aknowledge the other kids, but not me.
ReplyDeleteI am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong."
Sometimes i find myself thinking these things. One day, they wont skip over me.
Also you can see it as, although the african american population is overlooked and objectified, they are still able to grow stronger and not let their trials get the best of them.