Metaphors in I Too Sing America

¶ … 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 in all of its freedoms, progress, and prosperity. 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, "I am the darker brother/They send me to eat in the kitchen/When company comes/But I laugh, / and eat well, / And grow strong" (Hughes 545). Reference to the "darker brother" is clearly reference to skin color, used as a basis for discrimination. The word "brother" is also a metaphor for the brotherhood of man -- the human family to which all men belong regardless of their differences.

The poem seems to reflect the hope that Hughes has for change to come to the country. It illustrates his desire to see his people gaining fair treatment and be recognized as deserving of basic freedoms and privileges just as other Americans. Hughes writes " Tomorrow/I'll be at the table/When company comes/Nobody'll dare/Say to me/"Eat in the kitchen,"/Then." (545). The reference to "sit at the table," has a literal meaning. However, the table metaphor also has a second, deeper meaning. It refers to the full partaking in the American dream, a luxury not afforded to Blacks in this era due to politics, laws, and bigotry.

The line "they'll see how beautiful I am / And be ashamed" is a metaphor for the eventual desegregation that would come to the country and how the current state of affairs would serve as an embarrassment to future generations and others in the world (Hughes 545). In addition, the racist climate of the day painted African-Americans in an inferior and "ugly" light. This was unfair. Hughes is speaking directly of the natural beauty of his people.

The inhuman treatment, lynching, and denial of basic democratic rights and freedoms to African-Americans based solely on the color of their skin would one day be viewed as a disgrace. For instance, the act of sending the Black worker into the kitchen in the presence of guests works as a metaphor for the country's attempt to hide and bury the problem of racism -- painting one image to the world (i.e. land of the free, all men are created equal, etc.) when the reality is quite the opposite (i.e., segregation and discrimination).