Thursday, March 24, 2011

Langston Hughes: Theme for English B

1)  Read the following poem:

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/theme-for-english-b/

2)  Respond/ React/ Reflect in a few detailed sentences.  Remember to use textual evidence and to double check your grammar and your spelling before posting.  Thank you! 


14 comments:

  1. I like this poem a lot. I like that the poem has some rhyming in it but is loosely structured so that it seems as if the speaker is talking directly to you, or as if you are listening directly in on his thoughts. It has the feeling of a number of random, interesting ramblings all strung together to give you a snap shot of the speaker's life. It also manages to give the listener or reader an idea of what the historical period was like, with out losing the introspective nature of the poem. I think the author is saying, among many other things, that words are very powerful. No matter your age or position in society, strong words give you a voice and can have a real impact on the world.

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  2. This poem reminded of articles I read on the Harlem Renaissance, when all these black writers were starting to write, and their writing were becoming famous. When "the instructor" tells him to go home and write, he's giving him freedom to start writing. When "the instructor" says, "And let that page come out of you," he's telling Hughes to write what he feels inside, but he has no idea of what to write. All these years he's been a slave, and now he's being offered freedom to write, something he's dreamed for, for years. Now that the white man has given him freedom, he's starting to realize that although they're of a different race, they're of the same nation, so they should all work together to help each other out.

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  3. Leyana and Alphonse,

    Bravo! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your responses to Langston Hughes' poem. Thank you for reading the poem so very closely and responding in such a thoughtful manner.

    Many thanks, Mrs. Benedetto

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  4. I really enjoyed this poem. It's not just because I consider Langston Hughes my dead husband but it also spoke to me. Meaning me beeing a young lady of color and having ansesters go through segergation and/or having to be uneducated because of their color is a very hard thing to swollow. But other then all the hard things I enjoyed reading the poem and when he compares himself to the instructor when he says " 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." That was my favorite part of the poem.
    -T wilson

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  5. I Liked the Poem English B By Langston Hughes Because i Felt That He's Trying to Say Just Because my Skin Color is Different Doesn't mean Everybody Doesn't share the Same Interest Like I Do , For Instant He said and i Quote "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?" i Like this Part Cause It stand Out the Most to Me such as Other Parts Of the Poem . I am Getting Just Out of reading That Line that He's Look at Life as All of us Are In this english B Class and Our Teacher Gave all Of Us the Same Assignment . Also Just cause All of us isn't the same color Doesn't mean were Not getting the Same work or writen on the same white paper with the same Pen . Everybody Everywhere Any Color Drinks , Read, eat , sleep Lean and Understand Life Just as He do , Only Difference is Not everyone's the Same Color . Other Part of Lagston Hughes Poem That Stood Out to me was when He States and i Quote " 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" I Interpret this as we All Learn from Each other we All are Learning the same thing and we all are going home at the end of the day to think about what we learned Durning the day . An He's saying even Know Your Older and white we all are Experiencing life at the same time , Rather its in this english B class or the world its self we all share one thing in common for sure and thats being here on earth having a life .

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  6. This poem reminds me of the right of speech,and the right to express what you believe.I can't compare myself to what Mr Hughes went through,but I can say that,what he did go through certainly inspires me and I don't doubt the fact that many others are inspired too. Mr. Hughes inpires me in this poem,because he has the courage to write about real life,and about what he sees not about what others want him to write and sugar code it. At this time of his life he was going through a change of where whites and colors had different privilidges and now that he was seeing what he's been longing to see(freedom to write) he's shocked because he didn't believe that would happen atleats not in his life time!

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  7. I like the way this poem is written. Mr Hughes has written what ever came in to his mind and how he felt being a black person. Being colored does not make you different. 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 etc. It mean that you might have different color of skin but your interest might be same. I have to say that this is one of the poems which is written very smartly. I think the writer wanted to say that respect him as he respects the teacher whom he is writing this poem.

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  8. i like this poem because its life in high school and all the work we do.Some things are way to structured and some times you just want to break away and do your own thing. some things in life should be less planned and more off impulse and fun things.

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  9. I like this poem because it seems like he is saying that he is pretty much the same as white people. He says that he does basic human things just like everyone. I think that instructor might be a white person he knows and he is comparing himself to him. I think the poem is saying that we are all humans.

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  10. i like this poem alot it shows that black poeple are starting to write. when "the instructor" tells him to go home and write let the the page out of you.he is give the freedom to write.when it said let the page come out of you they mean to write from his inner feeling and his ideas, but he doesnt know what to write for many years they the black were given the freedom to write for him to start writing will difficulty.he says "You are white, yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That's American. meaning we all different race and we dont want become part of each other, we all American and lets all get alone.

    werdi mugaya

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  11. This poem is very interesting, Langston is describing his life and the hardships that he has faced. He describes how his living conditions are and where he lives, which is Winston-Salem. He mentions his age and the fact that he is a man of color, and that at the age of Twenty-Two you don't really know how things are going to be for you in the future. Also he tells how his color doesn't make him not like the same things other folks like who are other races.

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  12. I don't really like this poem. I think that this poem seems to be more like a biography then a poem. In my eyes a poem can have many different meanings determined on who the reader is but in this poem I think everyone has the same idea as he just drags the poem on longer and longer. I do like how he makes the points that he is colored but he is American so hes no different from you or me.

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  13. I'm fond of this poem because of the message it displays. During segregated times, many slaves were not allowed to write or read. In this poem they are being instructed to do something they have never been able to do, which is write, and not only write but write freely. I believe that every person has the right to write freely, regardless of what they write. I also believe that everyone should write poetry because they can and because it's a very good stress realiver.

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  14. I enjoy the poem, I believe it's reference to the fact that discrimination based on skin color is unnecessary. This is because despite the difference in skin the share the spirit of the nation in which the live. The portion, "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.", is a testament to this fact. Personally I interpret "English B" as English brother.

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