Imitation 1 (1960's): Langston Hughes, Theme For English B

Assignment # 2

Rap & Spoken Word

            The poem “Theme For English B” by Langston Hughes is about a colored black man, age twenty-two who seems to have a little trouble trying to understand himself. Even though he is in a classroom full of white students and being the only black man in his class he strongly feels that there is a reason for that. Also this may be a huge difference; there are many similar traits that they share with each other.

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.

I believe the context of this poem is based on environment. The man is sitting in a classroom, probably looking around wondering how he is the only colored person in his class. I think this poem is boasting because as I read it, it seems to me that the author is bragging about how alike whites and blacks are even though they both two completely different races.  He points out the fact that he wonder if he were to write his paper would the professor expect his paper to be different than the rest of the students in his class.

The rhyme scheme of this poem is A, A, A, B, A, C.  Langston Hughes doesn’t focus on rhyming more or less content and being able to get to the point in the fewest lines as possible. When doing this he makes his point in the clearest way possible.

Some literally devices used in the poem are end rhyme, literal meaning, lyrical poetry, narrative poetry, and tone. End rhyme is when the poet uses the same sound at the end of a line. Usually poets do this throughout their whole poem but her Hughes does it a little. The literally device he uses the most is literal poetry, which mean that the poem gives an opinion or emotion about a particular subject. He simply gives his opinion about races and points out we all are very similar in many ways. The tone of this poem is very assertive. Hughes make sure when he is speaking he gets his point across. Lastly, Langston Hughes uses narrative poetry which means tells a story. In the beginning of this poem he tells a story of his background like where he is from and where he lives so the reader can have an idea of where he come from and where he bases his ideas on.