Poem- "Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes

[Ms. Knarr]

"Theme for English B" By Langston Hughes 1902–1967

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.

[trevorsocarras]

I think the overall meaning of Langston Hughes' poem is that we are all part of each other. Throughout the poem Hughes describes relations between different races and explains how a person's color does not dictate a person's character. Hughes infers that we can all learn something from one another. This can relate to the Catholic reilgion in that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and that no one person is given more rights or greater than the other. The fact that all of us are different doesn't mean that we have to seperate or hate another person. People are sometimes very simliar to one another and it is unity between other races that Hughes describes as being in America.

I personaly liked the poem because Hughes made me think about what is true in this world and the many prejudices people have towards one another. This poem uses metaphors to describe these prejudices and relates it to a young African American student that feels isolated from his school.This poem protrays a story that has many emotions depending on one's own beliefs toward human dignity. I believe that everyone should be treated and looked at as equals no matter the cultural or racial differences between them. Any one person can relate to another as long as they try. I believe that America is the best country in the world because of the unity it brings to people.

1. What can you infer about Langston Hughes views towards Prejudice after reading this poem?
2. Do you believe that the World will ever be free from prejudice?
3. What is the signficance of the color of the piece of paper being written on?
4. Despite the differences between others, do you believe that we are all part of each other?

[anniepirone]

1. I couldn't agree more with Trevor. Langston Hughes makes it obvious that race should not a contributing factor to how each of us judge or "view" each other as individuals. Despite the fact that Hughes' professor is white and Hughes himself is African, Hughes makes a point to show that they are both equal and their races make a little impact on their characters and personalities. I can also agree with Trevor that we can infer that Hughes is trying to tell us that we can learn from each other. I'd also like to credit Trevor's connection between this poem and the Catholic Church. Being that we go to a Catholic school this poem exemplifies our faith.
2. I truly enjoyed this poem and found the meaning of it to be extremely insightful. Hughes successfully manages to make his readers think about all the prejudices found in our lives. Although Hughes had wrote during the Harlem Renaissance, we can still relate to this poem today. After reading this poem I had instantly thought about the prejudices individuals face today and the treatment they are given for these prejudices. I really did enjoy reading this poem.
3. To answer Trevor's question, I don't believe that the world will ever be free from prejudice. I say this because today in society people often judge one another based on their appearances rather than their personalities. One prime example is when Ghandi wanted to convert to Catholicism. When Ghandi had entered a church, the deacons and priests had immediately denied his request based on his hindu appearance ( he had a hindu symbol of a red dot on his forehead). ALso all humans pre-judge one another before they even have a conversation with one another; people stereotype each other. What did the author mean in stanza one , line five when he said, " Then, it will be true"?

[trevorsocarras]

I like Annie's answer to my second question about ending prejudice in the world. I completely agree with her and I do not believe that the world will ever be totally free from prejudice. I thought that Annie's example of Ghandi trying to convert to Catholicism was a great way to illustrate her position. Ghandi was denied the privilege of becoming Catholic because of his appearance. People often judge others before they even know them, as Annie said. I believe that if there were less hate in this world, people would make an effort to accept others that are of different racial and cultural practices. If that were to happen, the world might be free from prejudice.

To answer Annie’s question I believe the author was being honest in stanza 1, line 5 “Then, it will be true”. In the previous lines I think the author is trying to tell the student to write a paper about who he think he is, hence the line, “And let the page come out of you.” I think this is a very important line in the poem because it is the student’s opinion on prejudice in the world that gives the reader a sense of the time period in which the poem was written, and the opinions that people of different races had during that time.

After reading this poem do you believe that discriminating against someone on the basis of their apperance a sin?

[connorjmckeon]

1. I agree completely with Trevor and Annie. Their takes on the poem were what I was thinking as I read; Hughes is trying to show that we are all the same. When he says "yet a part of me, as I am a part of you", he is saying that even though we are different people, our human nature is one in the same. Even though people, particularly blacks and whites of that time, have different stories, they have similar struggles and journeys. We are all humans searching for relatable things in life.

2. I liked the message of this poem, but also the way the author went about making his point. He described himself and his life as so simple that it could be anybody. He said, plainly, that he goes to school, lives near it, and enjoys common things. I like how he explained himself as an average person, as if to say "I'm just like anyone else".

3. Answer to Trevor's third question: I think the color of the paper was another argument that he is the same as a white man. He's saying that if black people are different, should they have to write on black paper to show it? No. If someone were to read this poem without the mentions to race, they wouldn't know if the author was black or white. The paper shields his identity.
My question: What do you think the plainness of the poem does to the argument?

[timhoffman]

Hughes does a good job of showing ere the animosity that was generated between most blacks and whites of this time. Not to mention the fact that virtually everything was harder to do as a black person as compared to a white person. Interestingly enough, the rhyme scheme seems to disappear entirely after the first stanza.

While this poem may have had good intentions, I believe that it did not deliver and was a sad disappointment.

Do you believe that it was always harder to do something if you were black, or do you think the years of oppression have ruined the African-Americans' opinions of themselves?

[jthimelrick]

1. In this poem Langston does a good job of showing the relationship between a white and black man of this time period. He discusses how people of this time didn't think that each one of us is connected in some way, and that we all influence one another. His response to his teachers request for a true one page poem shows Hughes' great ability to write and to connect to his audience.
2. I really liked this piece because of how well it shows Hughes' ability to not only write but to connect to his white audience and show them that a black man can write just as well as they can. He also describes how each one of us is connected and how we influence what others do, which i think is very important to understand.
3. (answering trevor's second question) After reading Langston's poem and seeing how strongly he opposed prejudices, and also seeing how many people didn't respond appropriatly to it, i don't think that the world will ever be without some sort of prejudice.

Do you think Hughes' poem changed the way his teacher would look at a black writer's poem, or did it have no effect of him?

[veronicapuzio]

1. I agree completely with Trevor's interpretation of the poem. It is in fact saying that we are all part of one another no matter what the color of our skin is. We all influence each other even though we may not notice it. The one Black boy feels out of place in his class but soon realizes that it doesn't matter if you're black or white, we are all the same people. Also, I think the poem is about a man trying to find his identity, but then finds out he is assimilated into American culture.

2. I liked this poem because I liked the way it was written. The way Hughes used metaphors to show the feelings of the boy was brilliant. I also liked it because this poem talks about the American life at a certain period of time and how the white treats the black. We should not judge people according to their color but according to who they are. Hughes also stresses that each one of us is equal. The poem was also very easy to read and had a clear message.

3. Answering Jt's question: I do believe that the author changed the way the teacher would look at a black writer's poem because he stresses that we are American. Even if the teacher didn't want to be a part of the student and the student didn't want to be a part of the teacher, they are still part of one another because we all learn from each other.
My (Q): Was the man in the poem a slave?