Langston Hughes Poetry Analysis - Strongsville City Schools



Langston Hughes Poetry Analysis

On a separate sheet of paper, completely answer each of the following questions in complete, detailed sentences. You may choose to write or type your answers. Make sure you include an MLA 4 line heading at the top left of your paper.

“I, Too, Sing America”

1. What do you think Hughes meant by the line “I, too, sing America”?

2. Besides himself, who is the “darker brother,” in a larger sense?

3. Who is the “They” to whom Hughes refers?

4. Who was sent to “eat in the kitchen”?

5. What does Hughes mean by the metaphor “Tomorrow/ I’ll be at the table/

When company comes”?

6. Why will no one “dare” to tell him to “eat in the kitchen”? What expectation

does Hughes have in mind?

7. What does Hughes want his audience to realize with the last line: “I, too, am

America?”

“A Dream Deferred”

8. What does the word “deferred” mean? Use a dictionary if you need help.

9. What does Hughes mean by a “dream deferred”? To what dream could he be

referring?

10. Langston uses a rhetorical device such as rhetorical questions. What is the

purpose of using rhetorical questions and why did Hughes choose to use

them? List at least 2 of these questions and explain what he may mean. Dig

deeper.

11. Find 3 example of literary devices used in the poem. (simile, metaphor,

onomatopoeia, imagery, extended metaphor, epic simile, personification,

refrain/repetition, etc.) Quote it, state what device is being used, and explain

the line.

12. How can a dream “explode”? Explain what you think this line means.

Connections to To Kill A Mockingbird

13. How do these two poems relate to the themes of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Explain. Choose a theme and tie it to both poems and explain.

14. How do these poems reveal what life was like for African-American in the

1920s and 1930s?

15. How do you think Hughes would have reacted about the events surrounding

the Tom Robinson case? Explain.

Extension Assignment---This is due Wednesday, February 5, 2014 but will take up until Thursday without penalty. This is a 30 point assignment. Write a 16-20 line poem. You may choose to rhyme or not but stick to a rhyme scheme pattern of every other line or every line. In other words, if you do have rhythm, lines should flow in how many words per each, etc. Include a creative illustration displaying the theme of focus of the poem. The illustration should be colorful, neat, and large. Your illustrations should be original. Do not use notebook paper and fill the paper.

Choose one of the following topics:

1. Using a similar style of Langston Hughes, write a poem expressing what you think

Hughes would have wanted to say about Tom Robinson’s case and how Tom was

being treated by Maycomb’s citizens. Act like you are Hughes.

2. Pick a theme from the novel and creatively explain how it has been developed using

your wonderful poetry crafting skills. Tie it to the novel up to chapter 19 using

characters, actions, events, etc.

3. Become one of the characters from the novel and craft a poetic character sketch. Never

say who you are. You can take on a life in the day of Scout, Jem, Dill, Atticus, or even

Tom Robinson. You can take on the personified perspective of Tim Johnson and craft a

tale of how he became mad or contracted the mange or his final day. You can take one

of the characters and compose a poetic look at Maycomb through your character’s

eyes, or you can even tackle a theme or one of the many conflicts, topics, or storylines

that are interwoven throughout this novel.

4. Pick a human or inanimate symbol from the novel and write a poem depicting how it is

tied to the novel in the firs 19 chapters. Be creative.

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