¶ … Sing America Metaphors
The Use of Metaphor in I, Too, Sing America
In the poem I, Too, Sing America written by Langston Hughes, the author takes the reader on a journey through the experience of the discriminated African-Americans in the Jim Crow south of 1924. The poem is told in first person and shows the injustice of racism (Jones 176). The overall goal of the work is to illustrate that America is a rich tapestry of different people -- all equally valid. The "I, Too" of the title and repeated throughout the poem alludes to the feeling of exclusion that results for those who are alienated by a societies laws, policies and norms (Hughes 545). The poem is very effective because of its genuine emotions.
At the heart of the work is the personal experience of the African-American who, in that day, had to contend with the denial of many basic freedoms -- where to live, what types of occupations one could have, and where to eat or drink from a public water fountain (Kaesshaefer 24). During the time of segregation, Jim Crow laws were used to mandate the segregation of all public places and were supposed to create a "separate but equal" status for African-Americans. This was often not the case, as reflected in the inferior treatment and accommodations for African-Americans as opposed those for Caucasians.
The use of metaphor is very elegantly woven throughout the poem. It opens with a review of the "carols" of various American workers -- a diverse mix of melodies and tunes that are also a part of America's anthem (Hughes 545). The implied meaning is that America has a vivid and bright song - a sort of rejoicing...
The nation is one of industry and potential where anything can happen for those who are willing to work and everyone can be joyous as they go about their working and living. The African-American worker has a song too. Among those emphasized are the songs of boatmen, wood-cutters, shoemakers, masons, carpenters and working mothers. They are more manual and blue-collar occupations - most commonly held by minorities -- and those employed in these trades have a song of their own to sing that is no less special or beautiful than any other sung each day in America.
Singing seems to take on a metaphoric meaning here. Hughes wants the reader to understand that this is work is not just about personal experience, but that his people have a voice. During the era in which the poem was written, the struggle for racial equality was brewing in America. The right to vote would later lie at the heart of the battle of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Voting symbolized the right to have a voice and opinion about the laws that govern our country -- a right denied to African-Americans. Hughes offers that if the African-American worker could contribute to the laborious work that it takes to make a nation great -- building its roads, clearing and farming its lands, and toiling in its factories -- he or she be afforded the same right to participate fully in its freedoms and be viewed as equal. Racial justice and equality is an undertone in the poem.
In the face of oppression and uncivil, civil laws, the author strikes a patriotic tone that shows courage in the face of hatred. This is shown in the lines,…
