The Analysis Of Langston Hughes Theme For English B

There have been numerous poets that have graced the Earth with their talents, providing humans with some of the simplest words; however, those simple words could have a deeper meaning than that of the ocean. One of these poets, Langston B. Hughes, was born in Joplin, Missouri. As an African-American, he faced many hardships in furthering his learning. While studying in New York during the Harlem Renaissance, he was inspired to write poetry. He had many works of poetry, “Theme for English B” being a product of the Harlem Renaissance. Everyone in the world has a distinct inclination to meanings of poems, and with these distinctions; comes analysis throughout the mind, body, and soul. The analysis of “Theme for English B” is unique because there is a deeper meaning to it, background information, and the wide array of meanings. First, when reading this poem, it is so well written that you believe that Langston Hughes is talking about himself when in fact, it is a narrator. The imagery that he uses is outstanding, even telling what street the character crosses to get to his room. It very may well be the same streets that Langston crossed himself! Hughes seems like he is looking out the window at someone in the streets of Harlem, when in fact he is looking into a mirror. He sees himself in many aspects of the character. The narrator of the poem is writing for his white instructor, whom of which had given the assignment. When the narrator says, “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,” he signifies that even though from different cultural backgrounds, people can still like the same things. Learning background information about an artist, actor, or poet really signifies their muses and cultural differences that vary from person to person. …show more content…
Hughes grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, but he had lived in Illinois, Ohio, and Mexico! Hughes was crippled by Jim Crow Laws, as well as racists among all other things. Being culturally diverse and living somewhere such as New York, there were many different things that could have influenced Langston Hughes to write this piece of poetry. When the narrator speaks about the class, he doesn’t necessarily say he is the only colored person in the room, just the only African-American. The instructor is white, so the narrator is writing the paper to help the instructor understand him as a person, rather than a name and skin color. He wants to present himself in a way that the white man would not understand him because he may not know his background or culture. Lastly, everyone is different. Some people may perceive things differently than that of others, and that is what makes unique individuals. The narrator wrote this assignment to give the instructor insight about his life and that he may like some of the same things as a white man, such as the instructor. Hughes takes a satirical path, saying, “Will the paper be colored since he is writing it?” This question can be perceived in many different ways, one of which could be challenging the instructor, saying that he grades on color rather than quality. It is like the path to downtown Nashville, you can take Charlotte Pike or Gallatin Pike and;