Poem Analysis "Theme For English B"
The Rhythm and Meter
First Stanza:
_ / _ / _
The instructor said, >> Trochaic dimeter, 1 foot monosyllable.
/ _ _ /
Go home and write >>Iambic monometer, Trochaic monometer.
_ / _ /
a page tonight. >>Trochaic dimeter.
_ / _ / _ / _ /
And let that page come out of you-- >>Trochaic tetrameter.
_ _ / _ /
Then, it will be true. >>Spondee monometer, Iambic monometer,1 foot Monosyllable.
Second Stanza:
_ / _ _ / _ / _
I wonder if it's that simple? >>Trochaic monometer, Spondee monometer,
Iambic dimeter.
/ _ / _ / / _ / _ / _ / _
I am twenty-two, colored, born in
monometer, Iambic trimeter.
_ / _ / _ _ / _ _ /
I went to school there, then
monometer, Iambic monometer, Trochaic monometer.
_ / _ / / _ / _ / / _
to this college on the hill above
monometer.
_ / _ / _ / _ / _ / _ /
I am the only colored student in my class. >>Trochaic hexameter.
_ / _ _ / _ / _ / / _
The steps from the hill lead down into
Spondaic monometer, Iambic dimeter,
Anapestic monometer.
/ _ / _ / _ _ / _ /
Through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, >>Iambic trimeter, Trochaic dimeter.
/ _ / _ / _ _ / _ / _ /
_ / _ / / _ / _ / / _ / _
the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator >> Trochaic monometer,Dactylic
monometer, Trochaic dimeter, Iambic monometer.
_ / _ / / _ _ / _ /
up to my room, sit down, and write this page: >> Trochaic dimeter, Iambic monometer,
Trochaic dimeter.
Third Stanza:
_ / / _ _ / / _ / _ / _ /
It's not easy to know what is true for you or me >>Dactylic monometer, Spondaic
monometer,Iambic trimeter,1 foot
Monosyllable.
_ / _ / _ / _ / _ _ /
at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what >>Trochaic tetrameter, Spondaic
monometer,1 foot Monosyllable.
_ / _ / _ / / _ _ / _
I feel and see and hear,
monometer,Trochaic monometer,1 foot
Monosyllable.
/ _ / _ _ / / _ / _ / _
hear you, hear me--we two--you, me, talk on this page. >>Iambic dimeter, Trochaic
monometer,Iambic trimeter.
_ / / _ / _ /
(I hear
Monosyllable.
/ _ / _ / _ / _ / _ /
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. >>Iambic pentameter, 1 foot
Monosyllable.
_ / _ / _ / _ / _ / _
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life. >>Trochaic pentameter, 1 foot
Monosyllable.
_ / _ / / _ / _ / _
I like a pipe for a Christmas present, >>Trochaic dimeter, Iambic trimeter.
_ / _ / _ / _ /
or records--Bessie, bop, or Bach. >>Trochaic tetrameter.
_ / _ / _ / _ / _ / _
I guess being colored doesn't make me not like >> Trochaic pentameter, 1 foot
Monosyllable.
_ / _ / _ / _ / _ / _ / _
the same things other folks like who are other races. >> Trochaic hexameter, 1 foot
Monosyllable.
_ / _ / _ / _ / _ /
So will my page be colored that I write? >> Trochaic pentameter.
/ _ / _ / / _ /
Being me, it will not be white. >>Iambic dimeter, Anapestic monometer,1 foot
Monosyllable.
/ _ / _
But it will be >>Iambic dimeter.
_ / _ / / _ /
a part of you, instructor. >>Trochaic dimeter, Iambic monometer,1 foot Monosyllable.
/ _ /
You are white-- >>Iambic monometer, 1 foot Monosyllable.
/ _ / _ / _ / _ _ / _ /
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. >>Iambic tetrameter, Trochaic monometer.
/ / _ / _
That's American. >>1 foot Monosyllable, Iambic dimeter.
_ / _ / _ / _ _ / _ / _ /
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. >>Trochaic trimeter, Spondaic
monometer,Iambic dimeter,1 foot Monosyllable.
/ _ / / _ / _ / _ / _ /
Nor do I often want to be a part of you. >>Iambic monometer, Anapestic
monometer,Iambic trimeter,1 foot Monosyllable.
_ / _ / _
But we are, that's true! >>Trochaic dimeter, 1 foot Monosyllable.
_ / / _ /
As I learn from you, >>Dactylic monometer, Trochaic monometer.
_ / _ / _ /
I guess you learn from me-- >>Trochaic trimeter.
/ _ _ / _ _ /
although you're older--and white-- >>Iambic monometer, Trochaic
monometer,Spondaic monometer,1 foot Monosyllable.
_ / _ _ /
and somewhat more free. >> Trochaic monometer, Spondaic monometer, 1 foot
Monosyllable.
Fourth Stanza:
/ _ _ / _ / _ /
This is my page for English B. >> Iambic monometer, Trochaic trimeter.
The Rhyme
Theme For English B by Langston Hughes
The instructor said, A
Go home and write A
a page tonight. A
And let that page come out of you-- B
Then, it will be true. B
I wonder if it's that simple? A
I am twenty-two, colored, born in
I went to school there, then
to this college on the hill above
I am the only colored student in my class. D
The steps from the hill lead down into
through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, D
the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator F
up to my room, sit down, and write this page: A
It's not easy to know what is true for you or me A
at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what B
I feel and see and hear,
hear you, hear me--we two--you, me, talk on this page. D
(I hear
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. E
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life. E
I like a pipe for a Christmas present, B
or records--Bessie, bop, or Bach. F
I guess being colored doesn't make me not like E
the same things other folks like who are other races. G
So will my page be colored that I write? B
Being me, it will not be white. A
But it will be B
a part of you, instructor. C
You are white-- A
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. D
That's American. E
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. B
Nor do I often want to be a part of you. D
But we are, that's true! D
As I learn from you, D
I guess you learn from me-- B
although you're older--and white-- A
and somewhat more free. B
This is my page for English B. B
The Tone
The tone of this poem is sorrow because it implies the feelings of the author. In this poem, the author was not asking for sympathy or an apology, just understanding. He wish is to be accepted not as a black man but as an American. Every stanza describes the sadness or the sorrow of the author’s feeling.
Paraphrase
Things will be not the same if you are colored. I feel the different treatment from the society because I am not white even though I eat, drink, and sleep, just like they do.
I have seen many unpleasant things about discrimination till my age of twenty-two and I realize that whatever it takes, I will not be white but as an American, I want to be treated as equal as the real American, the white American.
Denotation and Connotation
* Instructor
Denotation : teacher or trainer
Connotation: government especially the white who usually give command
* Colored
Denotation : having the color that is mentioned
Connotation: of a race that does not have a white skin
* White
Denotation : of the color of fresh snow
Connotation: of a pale-skinned race
Imagery
* Visual imagery: instructor, page, colored, Winston Salem, school, Durham, college, hill, Harlem, student, class, park, St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue, Seventh, Y, Harlem Branch Y, elevator, room, see, New York, a pipe, records, folks, races, white, American, older.
* Auditory imagery: said, hear, talk.
* Kinesthetic imagery: said, go home, write, wonder, went, steps, lead, cross, take, sit down, talk, eat, sleep, drink, work, read, and learn.
* Abstract imagery: true, simple, easy, guess, feel, be in love, understand life, being, a part of you, free.
Figurative Language
Symbol:
* The instructor said (line 1), symbolizing the white especially the government.
* I am twenty-two, colored, born in
* I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you (line 18), symbolizing black people that are live in
* I hear
* Being me, it will not be white (line 28), symbolizing white American, not from black races.
Personification:
* I feel and see and hear,
* Hear you, hear me – we two – you, me, talk on this page (line 19)
They are personification because you here refer to
Apostrophes:
* I wonder if it’s that simple? (line 6)
* So will my page be colored that I write? (27)
They are apostrophes because the poet asks his questions to the world or blind things so it can not be answer.
Theme
Races discrimination leads to anger, disappointment, and dissatisfaction.
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