Karolína Poláchová Análisis literario

THEME FOR ENGLISH B

LANGSTON HUGHES

The instructor said,

      Go home and write

      a page tonight.
      And let that page come out of you—
      Then, it will be true.

I wonder if it’s that simple?

I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.   
I went to school there, then Durham, then here   
to this college on the hill above Harlem.   
I am the only colored student in my class.   
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, sit down, and write this page:

It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me   

at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I’m what
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you.
hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.   
(I hear New York, too.) Me—who?

Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.   

I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.   
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like
the same things other folks like who are other races.   
So will my page be colored that I write?   
Being me, it will not be white.
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.
Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.   
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that’s true!
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me—
although you’re older—and white—
and somewhat more free.

This is my page for English B.

Karolína Poláchová Análisis literario

Thesis statement:
The task to write one page only that would be “true” might seem easy to somebody who
has never experienced the doubt of where she or he belongs. But for a twenty-two-year-old
black student, it’s a rather complicated assignment. Born and raised in America, he can
legally call himself American no matter his skin color. Nonetheless, his citizenship doesn’t
necessarily give him the same rights nor the feeling of belonging. Being taught one thing
but experiencing other can cause real confusion, to the point we don’t know who we are.
Hughes is expressing the difficulties that young black American encounters when trying to
meet the requirement his English professor laid on him. As the young student wonders, if
his homework will be any different from his white classmates, the poem is uncovering the
hidden problem of racism in American society and its impact on black American who has
the feeling of not belonging. In the end, the speaker finds a strong sense of oneness and
harmony in his final argument - America isn’t black or white, it is both, and races should
share their knowledge, culture, and opinions so that they learn from each other.

First poetic aspect: Tone

When the professor gives the instructions, they seem simple and straightforward. One-page
work shouldn’t be a complex task. However, the speaker finds it hard to pour on a sheet of
paper his beliefs, opinions, and feelings. He is questioning and doubting the simplicity of
the task. His tone is rather skeptical even so, he decides to approach the task objectively.
He is trying to unwrap and discover who he is by recollecting all the facts like where he
lives and what schools he has attended. Firstly, he blames experiencing identity crisis on his
young age. He is surrendering to his immaturity. Yet, he recognizes himself as a New
Yorker. After he begins to realize that the only thing that makes him different is the color of
his skin. Hitting the nail on the head, the tone changes. The speaker isn’t confused
anymore. He is rather determined to show that the color of his skin doesn’t make him less
of an American. His speech becomes more spirited and cheerful. He is convinced of his
right to call himself citizen of Harlem and proud to be part of its society. He is aware of not
being received the same way white people are (although you’re older—and white— and
somewhat more free), nonetheless, he is determined to learn and prove that his contribution
is equally valuable.

Second poetic aspect: Sound effects

Hughes insists that black people are no less Americans than white people. To highlight the
importance of unity between ethnic groups the author takes advantage of the sound effect
that is produced by reading the pronouns “you”, “me” and “we” in combination with “too”
and “who”. The rhyming takes care of generating one continuous sound in which it is hard
to separate one word from the other. By connecting those words, in the last two lines of the
third stanza (hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page. (I hear New York, too.) Me
—who?); Hughes is suggesting the impossibility of separation of the pronouns on the sound
level. Since subjects are commonly represented in sentences by pronouns, we can say that
the author stresses the importance of symbiosis and collaborative work between different
races. Apart from the assonance between “me” and “we,” we can notice other examples in
the words “hear”, “feel” and “see” in which the /i/ sound is also repeatedly perceptible. And
finally, alliteration is represented by the /b/ sound in “Bessie, bop, or Bach” and the /v/
and /b/ sound in “Being me, it will not be white”.
Karolína Poláchová Análisis literario

Third poetic aspect: Figurative language

Hughes mostly prefers to use direct language, nonetheless as the speaker seeks answers,
that were raised by his assignment, he stumbles over the rhetoric question (So will my page
be colored that I write?), which leads him to the core of his identity problem. Although he
cannot find any differences between him and the rest of his white classmates, somehow, he
knows that the color of his skin does make difference. In the attempt of explaining his point
of view on racism in society, the author finds metaphor to be the best to convey his opinion
on that issue. “You are white— yet a part of me, as I am a part of you”. These words are to
show that regardless of their complexion, young black student, and old white professor,
they have something in common, they are both Americans. They are linked together by the
bound of one nation. America would not be whole without the community of white and
black. Therefore, the student’s page will be colored, but the black ink on the white sheet of
paper is what gives any page its value. White words on white a page, aren’t legible and thus
good-for-nothing. Besides metaphor, personification is also utilized. For instance, in the
first stanza, “And let that page come out of you.” The writer gives human quality to the
paper.

Conclusion:
In the poem, we are witnessing the development of the mind of a young man. Through
observation and questioning himself, he touches the roots of his insecurities. The reason for
the hardship to uncover his identity lies in the racist nature of the society he lives in. The
feeling of not belonging due to his race. Despite that, he manages to find consolation in the
final argument – All citizens of America have an impact and are important members of the
nation, regardless of their skin color. a country whose citizens are of different races.

Resources:
Encyclopedia.com. (s.f.). Educational magazines. Theme For English B. URL
https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/theme-english-b

Literary devices. (s.f.). Theme For English B. URL https://literarydevices.net/theme-for-

english-b/

Altman, Toby. "Theme for English B." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 29 Oct 2019. Web. 22
Apr 2020.

Davis, Ben., (2021). What are the images depicted in the poem Theme for English B.
MVorganizing.org. URL https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-are-the-images-depicted-in-
the-poem-theme-for-english-
b/#What_are_the_images_depicted_in_the_poem_Theme_for_English_B