Simile and Contrasts in Poems 'I Too' and 'I Hear America Singing'
The speaker Langston Hughes was a famous American writer who emphasizes his universal experience in the history of African American culture and how he applauds every American for their hard work and dedication. Every immigrant that enters a country wants to be accepted by everyone no matter what color of skin or ethnicity they come from. Hughes’s literary work represents his desires for the unity and hard work of African Americans and to stay away from the negative beliefs against black culture. Hughes used poetry to explain how he tolerated racism, negativity, and judgment to protest the limitation African Americans are going through. In other words, Hughes experienced racism and wrote the poem “I, Too” as a direct optimistic response that not all American identities have the same equal position or opportunity yet in America. However, speaker Walt Whitman, an American poet who uses poetry to argue that every individual has a similar position in America. Whitman’s poem “I Hear America Singing” proves that every American has a unique role to contribute to the development of the same place. The poem, “I, Too” by Hughes demonstrates how the speaker is optimistic about the future that every individual will have the same opportunity in America whereas, the poem “I Hear America Singing” by Whitman evokes that the American society as a whole plays an important role in America.
In the poem, “I, Too” Hughes carries an emotional patriotic voice because of the discrimination and segregation the speaker has gone through, hoping for a change for African Americans in the future. Hughes begins by stating “I, too, sing America” to demonstrate that he is also a part of the American society even when he is a member of a segregated family. This reinforces the idea that he shouldn’t have experienced racism since no one is different than other Americans and should be treated equally. For instance, the speaker’s voice uses a tone to depict his optimistic confidence that in the future everyone will have the chance to be equal in America. The speaker states, “And eat well / And grow strong” to show his kind of confidence that the world will eventually change for African Americans in the future. Hughes tried to evoke that the world will change and people of different colors or races will be equal in the future. Regardless of Hughes facing racism, he declares “tomorrow” that nobody is going to tell him exactly when to sit at the dining table and acknowledges his disappointment when he assures “they” as white people. Hugh believes and protests that African American contributions will be valued and accepted in the future to have more opportunities to be a part of American society. In general, Hughes’s view on discrimination had influenced his belief in American society, and is optimistic that in the future the world would change for all Americans to have an equal amount of rights.
On the other hand, Walt Whitman’s poem “I Hear America Singing” depicts a sense of unity even though everyone has a different type of job. Whitman starts with a happy tone emphasizing “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear” to display that America is singing that is filled with many kinds of distinct individuals who are working happily and celebrating. Despite Whitman acknowledging his hope to convey his emotions that every job is important, he starts by emphasizing “singing” and “strong” to empower harmony that all workers are celebrating and singing with joy that they have jobs. The speaker evokes a glimpse of America where people could find happiness and opportunities. The writer of the poem highlights the honor and achievement of every worker, which claims that all workers in labor unite to create America as a whole by singing. Whitman further claims that “Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else” where he proclaims that every worker in the labor market discovers their worth in their American life. The speaker showed a cheerful tone in explaining the meaning of American life and how to recognize Americans. Overall, the joyful tone emphasizes the importance of people's lives and roles in America.
Further analyzing Hughes’s “I, Too,” gives the readers an insight into the speaker’s view of wanting some appreciation of being an American after experiencing discrimination. The black’s commitment to the country is not appreciated by Americans, which shows segregation is not over in America. Hughes’s tone in the poem is patriotic to protest against racism so African Americans could have the same rights as a whole. Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing' gives the readers a different way to see American identity but does not involve the black community and their hard work to create America itself. Using a metaphor to emphasize how singing brings hope and reminds every individual that no matter what color skin they are, will show they are better together with significant roles than divided. In the poem “I, Too,” the speaker gave a glimpse of his optimistic belief and certainty that African Americans will be equal as Americans. In “I Hear America Singing,” the speaker gave a glimpse of reflections of the integrity where Americans are free to celebrate that they have a job.
In short, America is a diverse country and does not appreciate the hard work that blacks and African Americans have done for the country. By comparing “I, Too” and “I Hear America Singing,” Americans should encourage African Americans to stand up for what they can offer in America because they are equally important in this country than they know with their dedication. The utilization of literary techniques displays an appreciation for the black community and commitment after suffering segregation and a direct response to the African American movement to change politics in the future. Identifying identity with all the different cultures and unique jobs, every individual will still be a part of America. Exploring literature with techniques could give readers a better understanding of the issues America is still facing today. One can understand the protest against the experiences the color of skin had to deal with in “I, Too” or the joyful freedom in “I Hear America Singing” and convey the same American identity with challenges they possibly face.
