I, Too, Sing America

I, Too, Sing America

Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I'll be at the table

When company comes.

Nobody'll dare

Say to me,

"Eat in the kitchen,"

Then.

Besides,

They'll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

     I love this poem! A little background knowledge on Langston Hughes is he best known for his work throughout the Harlem Renaissance.  Along with being a poet, Hughes was a novelist, playwright, short story writer, and columnist. 

     In line two, when he says, I am the darker brother, it reminds me of chicken, for some peculiar reason.  Although this may seem very random and out there, it makes sense if you think about it.  Chickens have white and dark meat, but it is still just one chicken.  People can be white or black, but we are all still one family.  In line eight, when he says, tomorrow, it gives hope for a change.  That is my one of my favorite lines in the poem because that's what America is about, hope and having your dreams come true.  The rest of that stanza is about having the strength and courage to fight for your dreams and be able to cope with whatever the outcome may be.  In the next stanza, it's a little depressing.  His white brothers will realize he is just like them, but they are ashamed of the fact.  In the last line, Hughes says, I, too, am America. I think that this is the most crucial line in the poem because he is telling everybody that he, along with everybody else in this country, is American no matter what their background is.