'America in Black and White\r'

'Langston Hughes was an substantial and defining figure of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s up to the 1930’s, a decade of great activity in the Afro-American arts scene. Hughes was contendn for the rhythm, jazz and blues, of his poetry. The composing of his poetry is mostly on the life generates of the African-American. In his basis for face B, Hughes expresses the reality in the diversity †of being minacious among Whites. In the first stanza, the prof’s concession was specific and defined which was to spell a page about oneself. It was a deviation from the usual rigid English lessons, like unadulterated poems.Writing about oneself was more loose and relaxed. Hughes used iambic quatrain to taunt the rigidity of the instruction. Hughes made it k this instantn from the trigger offing that savant and professor were different. The school-age child thought the assignment over, and admirationed if it was easy writing about oneself. Hughes used the destitute-verse mode on rest of the poem to contrast the in front quatrain. Alliteration and Assonance in depict 7, â€Å"I am 22, dark-skinned, born in Winston-Salem” had the jazz sounds of Harlem. Here, Hughes uncover that the student was Black and at that placefore the professor was White.When he combined two vowel sounds in distinguish 10, â€Å"I am the only colored student in my class” Hughes indicated how strongly the student matte up about being Black. Hughes used metaphors to denote Black with Harlem, 8th Avenue, 7th Street and Harlem Branch Y, places where there was heavy African-American population. There was a observable change in the order of the [I] from Lines 6, 7, 8 and 10, much(prenominal) as, â€Å"I wonder… / I am twenty-two … / I went to school there … / I am the only …” to Lines 12-14 â€Å"… then I cross …/ … and I come … / … where I come … /. ” The [I] used to start off the lines, they now end off the lines.Such retrogression was a symbolical of the place the Black took in society. The symbolism of flood tide from African-American places going upward to the school on the hill and taking the raise to his room at the Y told of the student’s efforts to reach the level of the Whites. It must be recalled in Line 6 that the student had doubts â€Å"I wonder if it’s that simple? ” referring to the assignment. Now at Line 16, he was sure that â€Å"It is not easy to know what is true for you or me. ” Hughes at this point now came with the â€Å"you” together with the â€Å"me.” With â€Å"I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you:” â€Å"hear you, hear me †we two †you me, chide on this page” (Lines18-19) the student was not honourable writing about himself but of the whole African-American people. The sound of the assonance was strong like the commotion for equality. In Lines 21-26, the student cried out that he, in umpteen ways, was like a white gay with the aforesaid(prenominal) wants and aspirations in life. Hughes’ metaphors for gifts like â€Å" thermionic tube” to mean developing old, â€Å"Bessie” for Blues, â€Å"Bop” for Jazz, and â€Å"Bach” for the classical and Baroque music.The student wrote that the African-American also wanted the things the White man enjoyed. Hughes subtly presented the issue of racism by in all leaving out the assonance, instead, the student was introspective when he asked â€Å"So will my page be colored that I compile? ” (Line 27). Despite the absence of the assonance, Hughes was steady able to convey what the student wanted †to experience life, like the Whites do, until he is old when he smokes his pipe and listen to good music. The professor and the student were a contrast from the start, with conflicts in between.Hughes found a parking area ground in Line s 31-33 â€Å"You are white — / heretofore start out of me, as I am part of you. / That’s American. ” He followed it up with Lines 37-38 â€Å"As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me â€â€ Hughes essay to make his readers see that the equalizer comes in twain their being 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 with its rhythm. The tone of the poem is reflective as it is cocky with the use of the poetic voice of â€Å"I” coming as it is from someone who has a personal carry on the issue.Hughes was excellent in the use of a page for a composition 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 bot h write history 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\r\n'