theme for english b meaning essay

Theme for English B Summary & Analysis by Langston Hughes

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

“Theme for English B” was published the American poet Langston Hughes in 1951, toward the end of Hughes’s career. The poem is a dramatic monologue written in the voice of a twenty-two-year-old black college student at Columbia University in New York City. His professor gives an apparently simple assignment: to write one page that is “true” to himself. But for the speaker, this assignment raises complicated questions about race, identity, and belonging. As he puzzles through these difficult questions, the speaker arrives at a powerful argument against American racism: white people and black people are not (and should not be) separate or distinct. Instead, they are “part” of each other.

• Read the full text of “Theme for English B”

The Full Text of “Theme for English B”

“theme for english b” summary, “theme for english b” themes.

Race, Identity, and Belonging

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “theme for english b”.

The instructor said, ... ... will be true.

I wonder if ... ... in my class.

Lines 11-15

The steps from ... ... write this page:

Lines 16-20

It’s not easy ... ... York, too.) Me—who?

Lines 21-26

Well, I like ... ... are other races.   

Lines 27-30

So will my ... ... of you, instructor.

Lines 31-33

You are white— ... ... That’s American.

Lines 34-36

Sometimes perhaps you ... ... are, that’s true!

Lines 37-41

As I learn ... ... for English B.

“Theme for English B” Symbols

• Line 9: “hill”
• Line 11: “hil”

“Theme for English B” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

End-stopped line.

• Line 1: “said,”
• Line 3: “tonight.”
• Line 4: “you—”
• Line 5: “true.”
• Line 6: “simple?”
• Line 7: “Winston-Salem.”
• Line 9: “Harlem.”
• Line 10: “class.”
• Line 11: “Harlem,”
• Line 12: “Nicholas,”
• Line 13: “Y,”
• Line 15: “page:”
• Line 18: “you:”
• Line 19: “page.”
• Line 20: “who?”
• Line 21: “love.”
• Line 22: “life.”
• Line 24: “Bach.”
• Line 26: “races.”
• Line 27: “write?”
• Line 28: “white.”
• Line 30: “instructor.”
• Line 31: “white—”
• Line 32: “you.”
• Line 33: “American.”
• Line 34: “me.”
• Line 35: “you.”
• Line 36: “true!”
• Line 37: “you,”
• Line 38: “me—”
• Line 39: “white—”
• Line 40: “free.”
• Line 41: “B.”
• Lines 2-3: “write /       a ”
• Lines 8-9: “here    / to”
• Lines 14-15: “elevator    / up”
• Lines 16-17: “me    / at”
• Lines 17-18: “what / I”
• Lines 25-26: “like / the”
• Lines 29-30: “be / a”
• Line 5: “Then, it”
• Line 7: “twenty-two, colored, born”
• Line 8: “there, then Durham, then”
• Line 12: “park, then”
• Line 13: “Avenue, Seventh, and”
• Line 14: “Y, where”
• Line 15: “room, sit down, and”
• Line 17: “twenty-two, my age. But”
• Line 18: “hear, Harlem, I”
• Line 19: “you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk”
• Line 20: “York, too.) Me—who”
• Line 21: “Well, I,” “eat, sleep, drink, and”
• Line 22: “work, read, learn, and”
• Line 24: “records—Bessie, bop, or”
• Line 28: “me, it”
• Line 30: “you, instructor”
• Line 32: “me, as”
• Line 36: “are, that’s”
• Line 39: “older—and”

Alliteration

• Line 6: “i,” “i”
• Line 7: “t,” “t”
• Line 8: “th,” “th,” “th”
• Line 9: “th,” “th,” “h,” “H”
• Line 10: “c,” “st,” “c”
• Line 11: “st,” “h,” “H”
• Line 15: “r,” “wr”
• Line 16: “n,” “kn”
• Line 17: “tw,” “t,” “w,” “I,” “I”
• Line 18: “I,” “h,” “H,” “h,” “y”
• Line 19: “h,” “y,” “h,” “m,” “t,” “y,” “m,” “t”
• Line 20: “h,” “Y,” “t,” “M”
• Line 21: “l,” “l”
• Line 22: “l,” “l,” “l”
• Line 23: “l,” “p,” “p”
• Line 24: “B,” “b,” “B”
• Line 25: “b,” “m,” “m”
• Line 26: “o,” “o”
• Line 28: “B,” “b”
• Line 29: “B,” “b”
• Line 32: “p,” “p”
• Line 34: “p,” “w,” “p”
• Line 35: “w,” “p”
• Line 36: “w”
• Line 37: “fr”
• Line 38: “l,” “fr”
• Line 40: “f”
• Line 2: “o,” “o,” “i”
• Line 3: “a,” “i”
• Line 4: “a,” “ou”
• Line 5: “i,” “i,” “ue”
• Line 6: “I,” “i,” “i,” “i”
• Line 7: “I,” “i,” “i”
• Line 8: “I,” “o,” “oo,” “e,” “e,” “e”
• Line 10: “I,” “e,” “y,” “a”
• Line 11: “i,” “i”
• Line 12: “a”
• Line 13: “I,” “Y”
• Line 14: “ Y,” “I,” “a,” “a”
• Line 15: “o,” “oo,” “i,” “i,” “a”
• Line 16: “ea,” “y,” “o,” “ue,” “ou,” “e”
• Line 17: “y,” “o,” “y,” “I,” “I”
• Line 18: “I,” “ee,” “ee,” “ea,” “ea,” “ou”
• Line 19: “ea,” “ou,” “ea,” “e,” “e,” “o,” “ou,” “e,” “a,” “o”
• Line 20: “ea,” “oo,” “e,” “o”
• Line 21: “I,” “i,” “ea,” “ee,” “e”
• Line 22: “I,” “i,” “o,” “ea,” “a,” “a,” “i”
• Line 23: “I,” “i,” “i,” “e,” “e”
• Line 24: “e,” “e,” “ie,” “o,” “a”
• Line 25: “ei,” “e”
• Line 27: “y,” “I,” “i”
• Line 28: “e,” “i,” “e,” “i,” “i,” “e,” “i”
• Line 29: “i,” “i,” “e”
• Line 30: “ou”
• Line 31: “ou”
• Line 32: “a,” “o,” “a,” “o”
• Line 34: “ou,” “o,” “e,” “e”
• Line 35: “o,” “a,” “o,” “e,” “ou”
• Line 36: “e,” “ue”
• Line 37: “I,” “ea,” “o,” “ou”
• Line 38: “I,” “ou,” “ea,” “o,” “e”
• Line 39: “ou,” “o”
• Line 40: “ee”
• Line 41: “i,” “i,” “i,” “B”
• Line 1: “tr,” “t,” “r”
• Line 2: “m,” “t”
• Line 3: “p,” “t,” “t”
• Line 4: “t,” “p,” “m,” “t”
• Line 5: “t,” “t”
• Line 6: “w,” “t,” “t”
• Line 7: “t,” “w,” “t,” “t,” “r,” “r,” “n,” “n,” “W,” “n,” “s,” “t,” “n,” “S,” “m”
• Line 8: “n,” “t,” “t,” “th,” “th,” “n,” “m,” “th,” “n”
• Line 9: “th,” “ll,” “th,” “h,” “ll,” “H,” “l,” “m”
• Line 10: “m,” “l,” “c,” “l,” “t,” “m,” “c,” “l,” “ss”
• Line 11: “st,” “s,” “m,” “h,” “ll,” “l,” “d,” “d,” “H,” “rl,” “m”
• Line 12: “r,” “r,” “k,” “c,” “r,” “ss,” “S,” “ch,” “s”
• Line 13: “th,” “v,” “v,” “th,” “m”
• Line 14: “r,” “m,” “r,” “r,” “r”
• Line 15: “m,” “m,” “t,” “wr,” “t”
• Line 16: “n,” “t,” “t,” “kn,” “w,” “wh,” “tr”
• Line 17: “t,” “tw,” “t,” “t,” “m,” “t,” “m,” “wh,” “t”
• Line 18: “h,” “r,” “H,” “r,” “m,” “h,” “r”
• Line 19: “h,” “r,” “h,” “r,” “m,” “t,” “m,” “t”
• Line 20: “h,” “M,” “wh”
• Line 21: “ll,” “l,” “k,” “l,” “k,” “l”
• Line 22: “l,” “k,” “rk,” “r,” “d,” “l,” “r,” “d,” “r,” “d,” “l”
• Line 23: “l,” “k,” “r,” “r,” “s,” “s,” “r,” “s”
• Line 25: “b,” “c,” “d,” “d,” “n,” “t,” “m,” “k,” “m,” “n,” “t,” “k”
• Line 26: “k,” “k,” “r,” “r,” “r”
• Line 27: “r,” “t,” “w,” “r,” “t”
• Line 28: “B,” “t,” “t,” “b,” “t”
• Line 29: “B,” “t,” “t,” “b”
• Line 30: “rt,” “tr,” “t,” “r”
• Line 31: “r,” “t”
• Line 32: “t,” “p,” “rt,” “m,” “m,” “p,” “rt”
• Line 33: “m”
• Line 34: “m,” “m,” “p,” “r,” “p,” “n,” “t,” “n,” “t,” “t,” “p,” “rt,” “m”
• Line 35: “N,” “r,” “f,” “t,” “n,” “nt,” “t,” “rt,” “f”
• Line 36: “t,” “r,” “t,” “tr”
• Line 37: “l,” “r,” “fr,” “m”
• Line 38: “l,” “r,” “n,” “fr,” “m,” “m”
• Line 39: “l,” “r,” “l,” “r,” “wh,” “t”
• Line 40: “m,” “wh,” “t,” “m,” “r”
• Line 41: “s,” “s”
• Line 4: “And let that page come out of you”
• Line 18: “Harlem, I hear you”
• Line 20: “(I hear New York, too.)”
• Line 27: “So will my page be colored that I write? ”
• Line 28: “Being me, it will not be white.”
• Lines 29-30: “But it will be / a part of you, instructor.”
• Lines 31-32: “You are white— / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.”
• Lines 34-35: “Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.    / Nor do I often want to be a part of you.”
• Line 6: “I”
• Line 7: “I”
• Line 8: “I”
• Line 10: “I”
• Line 21: “I like”
• Line 22: “I like”
• Line 23: “I like”
• Line 8: “then Durham, then here  ”
• Lines 17-19: “But I guess I’m what / I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you: / hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.”
• Lines 25-26: “I guess being colored doesn’t make me  / not /   / the same things other folks like who are other races.”
• Line 25: “like”
• Line 30: “a part of you”
• Line 34: “a part of me”
• Line 35: “a part of you”
• Lines 37-38: “As I learn from you, / I guess you learn from me—”

“Theme for English B” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Winston-Salem
• This College
• St. Nicholas
• Eighth Avenue
• (Location in poem: Line 3: “page”; Line 4: “page”; Line 41: “page”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Theme for English B”

Rhyme scheme, “theme for english b” speaker, “theme for english b” setting, literary and historical context of “theme for english b”, more “theme for english b” resources, external resources.

"Theme for English B" Read Aloud — The playwright Jermaine Ross reads "Theme for English B" aloud.

Hughes's Life Story — A detailed biography of Langston Hughes from the Poetry Foundation.

Poetry and the Civil Rights Movement — A collection of poems and resources from the Poetry Foundation focused on the poetry of the Civil Rights Movement.

An Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance — A detailed introduction to the African American literary movement, with links to important poems and poets.

Early Black Students at Columbia University — An article by Paulina Fein on the way tha first black students to attend Columbia University were treated.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Langston Hughes

As I Grew Older

Aunt Sue's Stories

Daybreak in Alabama

Dream Variations

I Look at the World

Let America Be America Again

Mother to Son

Night Funeral in Harlem

The Ballad of the Landlord

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

The Weary Blues

Everything you need for every book you read.

A Summary and Analysis of Langston Hughes’ ‘Theme for English B’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Theme for English B’ is a 1951 poem by Langston Hughes (1901-67), one of the leading figures in the Harlem Renaissance. In the poem, a young African-American man studying at a college in Harlem describes the piece of homework his white teacher gave his class, which involved going home and writing a ‘true’ page.

The speaker of the poem is twenty-two and African-American. He was born in Winston-Salem in North Carolina and attended school there, before going to Durham, in the same US state. After that he came to the college where he is currently studying, on a ‘hill above Harlem’ in New York.

His teacher gives the class some homework: to go home and write a page that evening, writing from the heart, so that what the students write will therefore be true. But the speaker of the poem wonders if it’s as easy as all that. After outlining his brief life history to us, specifically his educational history, he points out that he is the only Black student in his class.

He then describes his journey home from the college, walking down the hill and into Harlem, through the park, and then across St Nicholas Avenue, Eighth Avenue, Seventh Avenue, until he comes to ‘the Y’, the Harlem branch of the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association). He goes up to his room, sits down, and writes a page, as instructed by his college teacher.

He writes on the page what he has already told us: that it isn’t easy to determine what is true when he, the speaker of the poem, is still so young. But he realises that who he is amounts to the same as what his experiences are, around Harlem. Indeed, he sees himself as being in a dialogue with Harlem as he writes, and more broadly, with the whole of New York City.

And who is he? He writes that he likes to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love, as well as to work, read, learn, and to understand life. He likes receiving a pipe to smoke with, as a Christmas gift, or some music records to play. He is equally fond of Bessie Smith’s jazz and blues, and of bebop , a popular African-American genre of music, as he is of Johann Sebastian Bach’s classical music.

So, he comes to realise, being Black doesn’t mean he is disinclined to like the same sort of things that white people like. Will the page he writes these observations on be defined by his race? Because the page is him – his thoughts, it will not be white. (Hughes utilises some clever wordplay here: in filling the white page with black ink, by writing on it, he is, in a sense, inscribing his identity as a Black person onto the page.)

But the speaker concludes that what he writes will be formed partly by his white teacher, too: he is white, and he is a part of the speaker, just as the speaker is part of him. And that is what it means to be American. It doesn’t matter that sometimes they don’t especially want to view themselves as linked to each other in this way: they are, whether they like it or not. And that is true.

And just as he learns from his instructor, so his instructor learns from his student, the speaker. Even though he’s older, and he’s white, and therefore freer than the young Black speaker, the teacher still has things to learn from his young student. And with that, the speaker finds that he has written his page of homework for his ‘English B’ class.

‘Theme for English B’ belongs to Langston Hughes’ later career, and he was nearly fifty when the poem was published. The speaker of his poem, by contrast, is just twenty-two: a young man of the next generation growing up in Harlem. However, Hughes himself knew what it was to live as a young man in Harlem, and, whilst the poem is not strictly autobiographical, the poet could draw on a deep well of experiences involving that part of New York.

In the poem, the Black speaker addresses or apostrophises his white instructor or college tutor. Apostrophe is a rhetorical device whereby a speaker addresses someone in a dramatic way: often someone who is absent, as the speaker’s teacher is in the poem itself.

This is especially significant in ‘Theme for English B’ because the issue of race is so central to the speaker’s way of formulating his understanding of America, and he, a young Black man, is talking to his white instructor, perhaps with more freedom than he would have in the class itself while face-to-face with him.

A key element of ‘Theme for English B’ is America itself. Hughes’ speaker comes to realise that such dialogues between black and white, much like the ‘dialogue’ between black ink and white paper as he composes his assignment on the page, is what makes America what it is.

It is a country of racial difference but also of shared similarities: he is both other than his white teacher (who could never share exactly the same experiences as a young Black student) and bonded to him by a commonality, not just by their both being American but by their shared access to ‘white’, European culture (the reference to ‘Bach’ alongside ‘Bessie’ Smith).

Like the majority of Langston Hughes’ poems, ‘Theme for English B’ is written in free verse : it lacks a rhyme scheme or any regular metre or rhythm, and the line and stanza lengths are also irregular. Hughes preferred to write in this style, and was partly influenced by the rhythms of jazz music – so important to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s of which he was a key part – in composing his free-verse poetry.

This gives the poem a loose, conversational feel which is entirely in keeping with the colloquial tone of the poem (indeed, it’s sometimes analysed as a dramatic monologue, because we can picture the speaker of the poem sitting at his desk with his pen in hand, speaking the poem aloud to his instructor as he composes his assignment).

However, ‘free’ verse is very rarely completely free, for all great poetry contains artistic control and some sort of structure. In the case of ‘Theme for English B’, we can detect a certain consonance between ‘Winston-Salem’, ‘Harlem’, and ‘Harlem’ (repeated) at the ends of the lines in the first stanza; similarly, ‘St. Nicholas’ plays off ‘class’ (which is almost an abbreviation of ‘Ni c ’ las ’), while later in the poem we even get full rhymes (‘you’ and ‘who’; ‘write’ and ‘white’; ‘true’ and ‘you’; ‘me’ and ‘free’).

It is worth pondering the significance of these occasional moments of rhyme which assert themselves among the free-forming unrhymed lines as the speaker thinks through his attitude to race and America: it is as if things are falling into place (to ‘write’ upon the ‘white’ page is to couple white with black; his instructor is more ‘free’ than ‘me’, i.e., the speaker), that through writing his page, the speaker is realising what he thinks.

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Theme for English B

by Langston Hughes

The instructor said,       Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you— Then, it will be true. I wonder if it’s that simple? I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. I went to school there, then Durham, then here to this college on the hill above Harlem . I am the only colored student in my class. The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room, sit down, and write this page: It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I’m what I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you. hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page. (I hear New York, too.) Me—who? 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? 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. Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you. But we are, that’s true! 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.

Summary of Theme for English B

• Popularity of “ Theme for English B”: Langston Hughes , one of the renowned American poets, novelist and playwright wrote Theme for English B. It is a remarkable poem about the acute realization of racial segregation. It was first published in 1951. The poem speaks about the narrator ’s quest for identity in a constantly changing world. It illustrates how he skilfully connects his simple English assignment to his life.
• “Theme for English B”, As a Representative of Self: This poem is about the speaker ’s attitude , interests, and background. The professor asks the narrator to write a page about himself. The speaker begins his assignment, providing some necessary autobiographical details because he wants true. After talking about his age, academic history and identity, he unveils a crucial reality that he is the only colored student in his class. He believes people belonging to different casts, color and identities share common interests. Also, he writes that his assignment will not fully represent him. Willingly or unwillingly, they both influence each other. In this way, all of his doubts, questions, and hesitations become his page for English B.
• Major Themes in “Theme for English B”: Identity, creativity, and racism are major themes of this poem. Right from the beginning, the black speaker struggles to come up to the expectations of his white professor. Although there is a divide between the speaker and his professor, yet he writes about his experiences and likes to present his true character in his assignment. At first, he is a bit nervous as he feels indifferent. However, he realizes that his likes and interests are similar to the people belonging to other races, which makes him confident. The speaker establishes a ground reality that America is a land of diversity and people influence each other regardless of their identities and skin color.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Theme for English B”

literary devices such as similes , personifications, and metaphors are very important elements of a literary text. They bring richness to the text and help the readers understand the hidden meanings. Langston Hughes has also used figurative language to explain the effects of racism. Here is the analysis of some literary devices used in this poem.

• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /r/ in “I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem” and the sound of /n/ in “Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y”.
• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /i/ in “I like a pipe for a Christmas present”.
• Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession. For example, the sound of /b/ in “or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach” and the sound of /h/ in “I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you”.
• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “ up to my room, sit down, and write this page”, “This is my page for English B” and “So will my page be colored that I write.”
• Rhetorical Question : Rhetorical question is a statement that is asked to receive an answer. It is just posed to make the point clear. For example, “I wonder if it’s that simple?”
• Personification : Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects . For example, “And let that page come out of you.”
• Anaphora : It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. Here, ‘part of you’ is repeated in the final stanza .

“Yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American. Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you.”

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Theme for English B”

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this rhyme .

• Stanza : A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem, each varies in length.
• Quintet: A quintet is a five-lined stanza in poetry. Here, first stanza is quintet .
• Free Verse : Free Verse is  a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter . This is a free-verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter .

Quotes to be Used

The lines stated below are suitable for a speech while teaching unity and talking about the common interests and likes of the people across the globe.

“ I guess being colored doesn’t make me  not  like the same things other folks like who are other races.”

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Langston Hughes: Poems

By langston hughes, langston hughes: poems summary and analysis of "theme for english b".

The teacher tells the speaker to go home and write a page tonight; this page should come from himself and be true. The speaker wonders if it is that simple. He begins by writing that he is twenty-two, "colored," and born and schooled in Winston-Salem, Durham, and at college in Harlem. He writes that he is the only "colored" student in his class. He walks down a hill into Harlem, crossing streets before arriving at the Harlem branch of the Y. He takes the elevator up to his room, which is where he is writing this page.

The speaker writes that at his young age, it is hard to know what is true for "you or me." He believes that the truth is what he hears, feels and sees in Harlem – "hear you, hear me – we two – you, me, talk on this page." He hears New York. He likes to eat, drink, sleep, be in love, work, read, learn, and "understand life." He likes receiving pipes and records (Bessie Smith, Bach or bop) as Christmas presents. Just because he is "colored" does not mean he does not like the same things that people of other races like. He wonders if his page will be "colored" because it is his and he is not white.

The speaker writes that his page will be a part of his white instructor and a part of himself, since he is a part of the instructor – "That's American." Sometimes the instructor does not want to be a part of the speaker and sometimes he does not want to be a part of the instructor, but they are a part of one another, and that is the truth. They learn from each other, even though the instructor is older, white, and "somewhat more free."

He concludes, "This is my page for English B."

“Theme for English B” is without a doubt one of Langston Hughes ’s most famous, beloved, and anthologized poems. He wrote it in 1951, the evening of his career, and it addresses one of his most ubiquitous themes – the American Dream. Thematically, "Theme for English B" resembles “American Heartbreak” and “Let America Be America Again.” The poem is written in free verse and lacks a systematic form or meter; its language is simple and casual, and it flows in a stream-of-consciousness style.

The narrative centers on a young student whose instructor has asked him to write a page about himself with the caveat that the page ought to be “true.” The speaker reflects on himself, noting that he is twenty-two years old, "colored," and born in Winston-Salem, N.C. He lists the schools he has gone to and explains that he is currently a student in New York (he probably attends Columbia University or City College of New York). As he walks home, he realizes that he is the only "colored" student in his class. This was a common occurrence during the Jim Crow era, because African Americans had more difficulty gaining entrance into elite schools than their white peers.

On his page, the speaker begins by expressing the his belief that it is hard to know what is true at such a young age. He identifies himself with Harlem, evoking the sounds and sights of the city, claiming to hear Harlem, and, in fact - all of New York. While he feels like an anomaly at school, he fits in within Harlem, which is where he is most content. He lists some of the commonplace but meaningful things he likes to do – eat, sleep, “understand life,” listen to music – and points out that being "colored" does preclude him from liking the same things that white people like.

The speaker's musings become more philosophical as he wonders, “So will my page be colored that I write?” He knows that his perspective is not the same as his white instructor's, but observes that he and his instructor are linked, whether they like it or not - through his writing and in the fact that they are both Americans. He recognizes that they can both learn from each other even though the instructor has the superficial advantages of being older, white, and “more free.”

Through this poem, Langston Hughes asserts that there are multiple types of Americans, and there is no singular defining "American" experience. Black, white, young, old, oppressed, free – all can strive for a piece of the American Dream. This poem is thus much more optimistic than some of Hughes's other writings on this subject; however, it also is a bit more ambiguous than it initially might appear. Critic Tanfer Emin Tunc writes that there are “other aspects of [the speaker’s] life that can only be inferred."

Tunc points out that the speaker writes about attending different schools in North Carolina before moving to New York, a pattern that traces the Great Migration of African Americans from their homes in the South to urban centers in the North like New York and Chicago. The lack of more specific facts makes the speaker’s experiences more universal, and his claim that he and his teacher are a part of each other “simultaneously affirms a common experience with white America while also resisting the impulse to justify his life to that culture and reshape himself in that image.” Overall, the young speaker is trying to figure himself out, as well as grasp the holistic identity of his multifaceted and complicated country.

Langston Hughes: Poems Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Langston Hughes: Poems is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Because “I, Too, Sing America” is written in free verse, Hughes is able to vary his structure to suit his purpose. Which of the following BEST describes how Hughes uses structure to reinforce his theme in this section of the poem?

1) D. Alliteration

2) C. When company comes.

Mother to Son

Is there any more information you are giving other than a crystal.

What does Konah mean by I'm in the deep blue, Nineveh would do!?

Is this related to Langston Hughes?

Study Guide for Langston Hughes: Poems

Langston Hughes: Poems study guide contains a biography of Langston Hughes, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis of select poems.

• About Langston Hughes: Poems
• Langston Hughes: Poems Summary
• "Harlem" Video
• Character List

Essays for Langston Hughes: Poems

Langston Hughes: Poems essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of poetry by Langston Hughes.

• Langston Hughes and the Double Consciousness
• The Black Modern
• Intimacy Through Point of View in "On the Road"
• A Look at Point-of-View and Reader Placement in “I, too” and “Douglass”
• Langston Hughes’s “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain”

Lesson Plan for Langston Hughes: Poems

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Langston Hughes: Poems
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Langston Hughes: Poems Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Langston Hughes: Poems

• Introduction
• Political views

• How to Cite
• Language & Lit
• Rhyme & Rhythm
• The Rewrite
• Search Glass

Analysis of the Poem "Theme for English B"

Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes wrote a number of famous poems. "Theme for English B" is one of his best-known, addressing race relations from the point of view of a 22-year-old African-American university student in the early 20th century. The poem's themes include race, place and the relationship between a student and teacher. Consider these factors in addition to rhyme, meter, language and symbolism in an analysis of the poem.

The speaker of "Theme for English B" is a college student, but he is not Langston Hughes. Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1902, not in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as the poem says. He wrote the poem in 1946 and read it to audiences in Winston-Salem. The poem is set in an earlier time, likely the 1920s, when Hughes moved to Harlem in New York City and joined the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was an African-American art and cultural movement in the early 20th century.

The speaker mentions that he is "colored" four times. He lives at the Harlem YMCA and attends the "college on the hill above Harlem," which could refer to the City College of New York or Columbia University. He says, "I am the only colored student in my class." He refers to paper and his instructor as "white," but also mentions "other races," so it is likely the other students in the class were not all white.

Hughes uses a different rhythm in the third stanza when the speaker explains the things that he likes. The rhythm is similar to jazz music. He compares what he has in common with his older white instructor, including getting a pipe as a Christmas gift and records including "Bessie, bop, or Bach." Bessie refers to Bessie Smith, "Empress of the Blues" in the 1920s. Bop is a style of jazz also popular at that time, and Bach refers to the classical composer.

Rhyme and Structure

Parts of "Theme for English B" rhyme and parts do not. The poem has a similar form to a college English essay. The assignment comes first: "Go home and write/a page tonight. And let that page come out of you/then it will be true." The speaker asks, "I wonder if it's that simple?" The rest of the stanza in his voice, which is African-American, does not rhyme. The poem concludes with rhyming lines which end with "me" and "free," and the last line: "This is my page for English B."

• The Academy of American Poets: Walking Tour Langston Hughes Harlem of 1926
• Winston Salem State University: Langston Hughes Visits Winston Salem
• Jazz Biographies: Bessie Smith

Amy Sterling Casil is an award-winning writer with a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Chapman University in Orange, Calif. She is a professional author and college writing teacher, and has published 20 nonfiction books for schools and libraries.

Theme For English B by Langston Hughes: poem analysis

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The instructor said, Go home and write...

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Theme for English B

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The instructor said,

     Go home and write      a page tonight.      And let that page come out of you—      Then, it will be true.

I wonder if it's that simple? I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. I went to school there, then Durham, then here to this college on the hill above Harlem. I am the only colored student in my class. The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room, sit down, and write this page:

It's not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you: hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page. (I hear New York, too.) Me—who? 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?

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. Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you. But we are, that's true! 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.

From The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes , published by Knopf and Vintage Books. Copyright © 1994 by the Estate of Langston Hughes. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Harold Ober Associates Incorporated.

More by this poet

The weary blues.

Droning a drowsy syncopated tune, Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,      I heard a Negro play. Down on Lenox Avenue the other night By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light      He did a lazy sway . . .      He did a lazy sway . . . To the tune o’ those Weary Blues.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the      flow of human blood in human veins.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

Dream Variations

To fling my arms wide In some place of the sun, To whirl and to dance Till the white day is done. Then rest at cool evening Beneath a tall tree While night comes on gently,     Dark like me— That is my dream!

Adjectives of Order

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• May 25, 2020

CSEC English B: Theme for English B by Langston Hughes Analysis

Updated: Jan 11, 2021

Theme for English B

Langston Hughes

The instructor said,

Go home and write

a page tonight.

And let that page come out of you—

Then, it will be true.

I wonder if it’s that simple?

I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.

I went to school there, then Durham, then here

to this college on the hill above Harlem.

I am the only colored student in my class.

The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem,

through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,

Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y,

the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator

up to my room, sit down, and write this page:

It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me

at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I’m what

I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you.

hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.

(I hear New York, too.) Me—who?

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?

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.

Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.

Nor do I often want to be a part of you.

But we are, that’s true!

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.

The persona is a negro student (the only one in his class) who is given an assignment by his instructor write a page that comes from within him, and is therefore 'true'. He is 22 and lives in Harlem. He now puzzles over what is 'true' for any person. The persona questions who he is. The introduction of the concept of truth is strange for him as a black man given this assignment by a white instructor. He recounts his own tastes- a mixture of things liked by different people of different races. This brings to light a dilemma within him; an uncertain relationship between race and identity. He now sees that his race doesn't define his tastes, He ponders whether his race affects his identity, and therefore, if it will affect the identity of truth he presents on his page. He knows that it is important to his identity, but, through his realization that his tastes are unaffected by race, he knows that it doesn't define his identity. The persona boldly now asserts that he and his instructor are part of one another. Their history, and evidently American societal bonds between them, form a deep connection. He knows now that his race is not what defines his identity, nor is it an intimate determiner of who he is. Instead, race seems a sort of encumbrance, or burden, which is why he knows that his instructor may not often want to be a part of him. However, this connection that pervades age, race and gender is undeniable. As the only coloured student in his class, he obviously experiences a great deal of alienation and may feel out of place. In spite of this, they are linked, and they learn from each other. The persona knows that his race can be a burden that limits him, and he also knows that his instructor is somewhat more free than he is- simply because he is white.

This all shows the true message of the poem- the fact that race and the unequal distribution of privilege based on race is not what defines them, it simply obscures the deep connections between them.

The themes of this poem include race and identity. The tone is reflective, and the mood is also thoughtful/pensive.

"The instructor said,

Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you— Then, it will be true ."

The poem begins with a direct quote from the persona's instructor giving the directions for the assignment. He says that the page written must 'come out' of the student and then it would be 'true.' This introduces the idea of truth, and how this relates to the persona himself,

" I wonder if it’s that simple?"

The persona's dilemma begins with the use of a rhetorical question. He wonders if his page will be true simply because he writes directly from his heart. He doubts the simplicity of the instructor's directions.

" I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. I went to school there, then Durham, then here to this college on the hill above Harlem."

This is a short biography of the persona's life. He is 22 and coloured (black) and has moved between places and schools throughout his life. Now he is at a college situated above the town of Harlem. The location of the college above Harlem could be seen as representative of the prestige of the college.

" I am the only colored student in my class."

The persona gives more details, showing that he is the only student of colour in his class. This indicates that he possibly feels alienated or out of place in his class as a result.

" The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room, sit down, and write this page:"

Our persona travels home through this convoluted set of directions and comes to the Harlem Y , or the Harlem YMCA which is a community center and a cheap hostel for young people to stay. This tells us a little about the speaker's likely low income. He begins the page as soon as he gets to his room, and the stanza ends with a colon showing that the following lines will be the assignment.

"It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age."

This calls back the assignment's instructions, which state ' Let that page come out of you, then it will be true .' So, the persona is grappling with the idea of what is true- he finds it quite difficult to discern truth, especially at his age. Even though he is an adult, he has many more years ahead of him to live, and he cannot be completely sure of what is true, even if it comes from his heart.

"But I guess I’m what I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you. I hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page. (I hear New York, too.) Me—who?"

Continuing in this vein of uncertainty, he assumes that he is a product of what he feels, sees and hears- his environment. He lives in Harlem, so it must be a part of his identity. He personifies Harlem by saying that he talks with it on his page. He hears Harlem, and he hears its people, as they are a part of him. But he also hears New York, a sort of diverse hub of people from all parts of the world. He ends the stanza by asking ' me-who? ' questioning his own identity, and what is true for him.

"Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. I like to work, read, learn, and understand life."

He begins to list his tastes- of course he likes things that normal people regardless of race would like. They are simple things, showing that, yes, he is in fact a human. He also likes to work, read, learn and understand life, showing that he is both an thinker and a hard worker.

"I like a pipe for a Christmas present, or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach."

He likes simple gifts (at the time of the writing of this poem, smoking was considered normal and somewhat classy). The poet uses alliteration with " B essie, B op or B ach" to show the persona's taste in music. Bessie, an allusion to blues singer Bessie Smith and Bop, a genre of music- both very popular among the African American community. Bach, as in the classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach, may have been considered more popular for white people. So, the persona has a wide span of musical tastes .

"I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like the same things other folks like who are other races."

At this point, the persona realizes that his race doesn't affect his identity, his personality. Being coloured doesn't define him as a person; he can share likes and dislikes with others regardless of race.

"So will my page be colored that I write? Being me, it will not be white."

The persona now knows that his race isn't a determiner of his tastes. However, he now has a new dilemma: will what he writes be distinctly 'coloured' (i.e. black)? The purpose of the assignment is to find and express an inner truth. The persona doesn't know if there is a difference between inner truth for a coloured person or a white person. If there truly is a distinct difference between that which is produced by black people or white people, will what he writes be different because he is black? He acknowledges that due to his race, his page cannot possibly express the views of a white person or their experiences. This line can operate on another level as well, indicating that being himself, he would complete the assignment, so his page wouldn't be white (blank). However,it also introduces the idea of the page being him. The page comes from within him, so in a way, it is him and therefore cannot be white. While race doesn't define his identity, it is an indelible phenotype that affects his experiences.

"But it will be a part of you, instructor."

The persona boldly states that what he writes will be a part of his instructor. This could indicate that it becomes a part of his instructor when he reads it, but it could also mean that their experiences and views, despite being of different races, are a part of each other.

"You are white— yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American."

The instructor is white, and he is black, but they are interconnected, or linked. This sentiment of deep connection is described as American by the persona. America is often called the 'salad bowl,' a mixture of people from all different cultures and races to create something uniquely American.

"Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you. But we are, that’s true!"

The persona knows the hardships that come with the burden of being black, especially in a prejudicial America full of racial discrimination- so he acknowledges that the instructor may not always like the idea of them being intertwined. He is evidently hesitant in stating this, as seen in the use of ' sometimes perhaps. ' However, it is all wrapped up with the affirmative declaration that 'that's true!' once again calling us back to the assignment that indicates the function of the assignment to come closer to an inner truth. This declaration that he and his instructor are part of each other whether or not they want to be is 'true.'

"As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me—"

As the persona learns from the instructor, he tentatively says that he learns from him as well, reinforcing the idea of interconnection even in a classroom setting.

"although you’re older—and white— and somewhat more free. This is my page for English B."

The declaration of them learning from each other is followed by the acknowledgement of inherent prejudices and difference in privilege between them. The instructor is older, and is more free than the persona simply due to him being white. The final declaration of the poem is 'this is my page for english B,' giving the final indication of the truth of the persona. This is the page that comes from within himself, and what, therefore, must be true.

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Theme For English B Poem Summary, Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English

Table of Contents

Introduction

One of Langston Hughes’ most well-known poems is “Theme for English B.” Through the depiction of a black man’s writing assignment, it delves into themes of identity and race. Hughes portrays a youthful, twenty-two-year-old narrator in ‘Theme for English B,’ who speaks about his own experience as a black man in a predominantly white neighborhood. Despite being written decades ago, this poem, like many others by Hughes, is still relevant in today’s society. 

About the poet

James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was a Joplin, Missouri-born poet, social activist, writer, dramatist, and columnist. He is best recognized as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance and was one of the early inventors of the literary art form known as jazz poetry. Hughes was raised in a variety of Midwestern communities and became a prolific writer at a young age before moving to New York City. He attended Columbia and Lincoln Universities and created plays, short tales, and nonfiction works. From 1942 through 1962, he authored a weekly in-depth piece for The Chicago Defender.

The speaker begins ‘Theme for English B,’ in the first words, by outlining the task he was assigned. The speaker, a little child, describes how he was instructed to “God home and write / a page tonight.” It might be anything; all that is required is for it to “come out of you.” This usage of personification gives the impression that the page is behaving independently and making its own decisions. The teacher says that it should be a natural process. 

The third stanza is 10 lines long and conveys the young speaker’s feelings toward writing. He wonders if it’s really “that simple” to write. He tells the reader a little about himself. The speaker is a twenty-two-year-old black male from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is the only black kid in his class. These facts distinguish him from the people around him. They make him doubt his ability to write.

The following stanza of ‘Theme for English B’ is only five lines long. It conveys his uncertainty about his place in life and how it connects to people around him. When you’re young, it’s difficult to tell what’s true and what isn’t. But he is aware of the fundamentals. He is present, and he can “feel, see, and hear, Harlem, I hear you.” This place beckons to him and muddles the language, making it difficult to understand who is speaking and what they are talking about. He’s at a point in his life where he’s just beginning to figure out who he is and what part he has to play.

The speaker contrasts his life to that of his peers in the next sequence of sentences. They are related in a variety of aspects, the most important of which are reading, learning, and comprehending life. He is not so different in that he does not like “the same things other people of different races like.” But, he adds, he is distinct in a significant way. The paper he writes on will “not be white.”

The speaker realizes in the last lines of ‘Theme for English B’ that there are several parts of himself that are all essential in their own way. The page he writes, a metaphor for his future life, will be impacted by “you, instructor.” Because this person is white, it will influence both New York and Harlem. He considers his relationship with “you,” the teacher, and wonders how much they are alike. They don’t always want to be a part of each other’s lives or tales, but they are “that’s true!” He learns from his white tutor and thinks that they may also learn from him. This might be true even though they are “older—and white—/ and somewhat more free.” 

The poem concludes with the line “This is my page for English B.” He went out to write and let what was “true” settle on the paper, as the instructor instructed. The assignment finished itself.

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