“I, Too, Sing America”
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.
Comprehension & Analysis:
by Langston Hughes
1.) What do we know about the speaker of the poem? Explain what you know and
how you know.
2.) Who are the “they” in lines 3 and 16?
3.) Using evidence from the poem, make an inference about what usually happens to
the speaker “when company comes.”
4.) What is the speaker thinking/ hoping/ planning will happen the next time
company comes?
5.) What does the speaker want others to recognize and realize?
6.) Explain the significance of the first and last line.
7.) Describe the setting you picture for this poem and explain.
REMINDER – theme = ___________________________
8.) What is the theme of this poem?
HELPFUL HINT – In literature, tone is the _______________________________
9.) The tone of this poem can best be described as:
OPINION – Do you like this poem? Why or why not? EXPLAIN.
Putting the poem in context . . .
This poem is written by Langston Hughes.
What do you already know about Langston Hughes?
This poem and its poet, Langston Hughes, are considered part of the Harlem Renaissance.
What do you already know about the Harlem Renaissance?
This poem is considered a protest poem written to protest the Jim Crow laws.
What do you already know about Jim Crow laws?
Choose one of the above topics. For tomorrow – you must find at least three interesting
facts about your topic. Write down the source of your information.
OPTIONAL:
Creative writing
Now you are going to write a model poem of Hughes’ “I Too, Sing America”
You must use the following elements:
-
The first line of your poem must be “I, too, sing America.”
Line 2 must start with “I am . . .”
Line 3 must start with “They”
Line 4 must extend the point made in line 3 (and be repeated in line 10)
Line 5 must start with “But”
Line 6 and 7 must start with “And”
Line 8 must start with “Tomorrow”
Line 9 must start with “I’ll”
Line 10 will be the same as line 4
Line 11 must start with “Nobody’ll”
Line 12, 13, and 14 will finish the idea of line 11
Line 15 must start with “Besides”
Line 16 must start with “They’ll”
The last line (line 18) must be “I, too, am America”
*** Try to follow the structure and rhythm of Hughes poem
Some of these elements include: