Theme for English B

Theme for English B Brought to you by: Sonia A, Guadalupe C, Edwin A, and Lorenzo M

Details of the Speaker • The speaker is a 22 year old colored college student, who is in a class dominated by white students in Harlem. • The speaker knows he is the conversation of those who surround him. • He was born in Winston-Salem and traveled his way to Harlem, New York. • Deals with racism on a daily basis ever since he was born. • Throughout the poem he describes what it is to be a colored student and how uncomfortable and hard it is to be in school at the time.

Structure of the Poem • The poem is a narrative poem that is written in free verse and lacks a systematic • No rhyme scheme • There is no simile, metaphor or persnofication. • Double negative in line 25: “I guess being colored doesn’t make me NOT like…” • The tone in this poem is sarcastic and hesitant • Alliteration example: “Bessie, Bop, or Bach” • Ejambment example: After line 37 “As I learn from you…” • Uses repitition of words to emphasize important phrases.

Important Quotes • “ Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you- Then, it will be true.” • Meaning: The speaker writes to his teacher with the truth and only the truth about how hard it is to be a colored student. This poem came out of his thoughts, feelings, and observations. • “ 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. • Meaning: The speaker is just as any other 22 year old and is into the same hobbies. He mentions those things to show how he is just like others but they don’t realize that.

Harlem Renaissance • The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s. • Harlem was the destination for immigrants from around the country, attracting people seeking work from the South. • Harlem became an African-American neigborhood in the early 1900s. • The Harlem Renaissance grew out of the changes that had taken place in the African-American community since the abolition of slavery. • Much African-American culture expanded through Harlem and many great colored writers, musicians, poets, etc were being recognized for their talent ignoring all the racism they delt with.

Theme • The theme of this poem is fear, fear of acceptance. • The narrator is worried that if he expresses himself as who he is, his instructor may not appreciate what he has to say. • Both are american yet different in color skin, which is a major diffrence at the time

Conclusion/Summary • Analyizing the poem, I understood how Hughes felt about the split in race. since he was black he would not be judged the same; that he was somehow different from white people simply because of his skin color. • He was born in Winston Salem and was 22 years old in the poem. He attended college on the hill above Harlem and was the colored student in the class. He likes to eat, sleep, drink,be inlove, work, read, learn and understand life. He also mentions wanting a pipe and records for Christmas. • The diffrences he notices from the instructor at the end of the poem is that he is older,white and somewhat free.

Images of 1900s

QUIZ TIME!!!!! • Hope you had a good breakfast and take your time. This will not effect your SAT scores.

Quiz 1. How old was the colored student? • 22 years old • 15 years old • 17 years old • 60 years old 2. Two presents he would like for christmas? • Records/Shoes • Pipe/BackPack • CD player/School Folder • Pipe/Records

Quiz 3. What cultural movement spanned in the 1920’s? • World War 11 • Cold War • The Harlem Renaissance • Treaty of Versailles 4.Where was he born and where did he attend college? • Compton and Pierce • Reseda and CSUN • Winston Salem and on the hill above Harlem • New york and cross St Nicholas

Quiz 5. According to the poem, is he the only colored student in the class? True/False 6. What diffrences does he notice from the instructor at the end of the poem? • Older, white and Somewhat more free • Young and smart • Tall and ugly • White and Handsome

Quiz 7. What type of poem is this? • Fiction • Subjective • Sonnet • Narrative 8. What is the theme of this poem? • Happiness • Romantic • Horror • Fear of acceptance

Quiz 9. What is the narrators ethnicity? • Asian • White • African American • Latin 10. Name 3 things the narrator likes to do out of the 8 he mentions?

Theme for English B