book I Wonder as I Wander, "This poem, delivered dramatically would make anybody, white or black, sit up and take notice" (59). This statement is quite true sense it is a question that many people of a singular race do not think of on a regular basis.Hughes was viewed as a positive writer during his time period. As John Spencer states in his book, "[Hughes] treated blackness or darkness positively in [his] writings in order to challenge the traditional myths and stereotypes about [his] race" (5). Sometimes when African-Americans wrote about their "second-class citizenship", they were pessimistic about the change, however, Hughes was different. This is not evident in his poem "I, too, sing America". In this poem, Hughes writes in the voice on African-American male who has been subservient to the "white society". In the poem Hughes write, "They send me/ To eat in the kitchen/ When company comes" (2-5). The positive message of this poem is that although blacks were not seen as equals at that time he still tow had a voice and was American too. Also, it has an optimistic tone, this is evident when he writes, "Tomorrow/ I'll sit at the table"(9-10). Here, Hughes speaks of tomorrow, which indicates that they may be a future and a brighter tomorrow. Next, he speaks of the shame that the oppressors would feel. This is what he meant when he wrote, "They'll see/ How beautiful I am/ And be ashamed" (17-19). Then, Hughes concludes the poem with a simple yet declarative sentence in which he states, "I, too, am America"(20).Langston Hughes was an excellent writer who traveled the throughout the United States and all over the world. During these travels, Hughes witnessed many events they led for him to write about them in his poetry. In addition to his witnessing events, Hughes also met a large number of people from all facets of the African-American community. When Hughes witnessed the African-American society in the United States and the...
