Dreaming Black Boy by James Berry I wish my teacher’s eyes wouldn’t go past me today. Wish he’d know it’s okay to hug me when I kick a goal. Wish I myself wouldn’t hold back when answer comes. I’m no woodchopper now like all ancestors. I wish life wouldn’t spend me out opposing. Wish same way creation would have me stand it would have me stretch, and hold high, my voice aul !obeson’s, my inside eye a sun."obody wants to say hello to nasty answers. I wish torch throwers of night would burn lights for decent times. Wish plotters in py#amas would pray for themselves. Wish people wouldn’t talk as if I dropped from $ars. I wish only boys were scared behind bravados, for i could su%er. I could su%er a big big lot. I wish nobody would want to earn the terrible burden I can su%er.
Ana l ys i s : Thepoe me x pr e s s e sac h i l d' swi s ht obef r e eofphys i c a la nde mo mo t i ona lpa i n.I t i swr wr i t t e nf r om t hepe r s pe c t i veofac hi l di nt hefir s tpe r s onna r r a t i v ev oi c eoft hec hi l d hi ms e l f . Thet i t l eoft hepoe mi mme di a t e l ypr o vi de st hec o nt e x ti nwhi c ht hec hi l d' s " dr e a m" m"or" wi s he s "a r ef r a me me d. Thet i t l er e v e al st ha tt hes pe a ke ri sabo y ,a ndhei so f t hebl a c kr a c e . Ea c hve r s eo ft hepoe m be gi nswi t ht her e pe t i t i v e," Iwi s h" . I nt ot a lt he r ea r efivewi wi s he s v ar yi ngf r om awi wi s hf o rs o me met ypeo fe nc o ur a ge me me ntb yhi st e a c h e r ,t ohi swi s hf or f r e e dom f r om t he" t e r r i bl ebur de nso fl i f e " . Al loft hec hi l d' swi wi s he sa r ef org ooda nd pos i t i vet hi ngs . Es s e nt i a l l yhewi wi s he st ha tl i vi ngwa sea s i e r ,orl e s spr o bl e ma ma t i ct ha ni t r e al l yi s . Hi sc hi l dhoodwi s he sbr i ngsi nt oque s t i ont her o l eofa dul t si nt hel i ve sofc hi l dr e n. I ti s c l e a rt ha tt her ol eofa dul t si nt hepoe ms msa boutt hee xpe r i e nc eofgr o wi wi ngc hi l dr e ni st o l o ve ,c a r e , c o mp mpl i me nt , pr o t e c ta nde nc o ur a get he m. m.
Wekno w, ba s e do nt het i t l eoft hepoe m,t ha tt hebo yi so ft hebl a c kr a c e .Thi s c ont e xt ua l i ze st heet hni c i t y ,a nd, t he r e f or e , t hee xpe r i e nc e st ha ta r epa r t i c ul a rt oac hi l d oft ha tr a c i a le t hni c i t y . Thec hi l di snotonl ybl a c kbuta l s oma l e .Ar me dwi t ht hi s i nf or ma t i ononei sf or c e dt ot hi nkoft hei mpl i c a t i onss ugg e s t e db ys uc ha wa r e n e s s , i mpl i c a t i onsr e g ar di ngt hes pe c i fict ype so fpr obl e msa nde x pe r i e nc e st ha ta r epa r t i c ul a r t oabo yc hi l dbe l ongi ngt ot hebl a c kr a c e .Wha ti sa bs o l ut e l yc l e a ri st ha tt hepoe mi s a boutac hi l d' sf e a r so ft hes uffe r i nghec oul dpos s i bl ye nc ount e ra sar e s ul toft hi ngs ha ppe ni nga r o undhi m. Hi sfina lwi s hi st oe s c a pet he" t e r r i bl eb ur de n"a ndo f ha v i ng(a sabo y)t hebur de nofpr e t e ndi ngt obebr a v e ,whi c hi sa ne x pr e s s i o no ft he f e a r sa ndc o nc e r nso fac hi l d, pa r t i c ul a r l yama l ec hi l di nwha ti so bvi ous l ya ne xt r e me l y uns t a bl ea ndc ha ot i ce n vi r onme nt .Hedr e a mso fabe t t e r ,s a f e rl i f e ,a ndhet hi nkst ha t e duc a t i onwi l le na bl ehi mt oe s c a pet hec h aos . The r ea r er e a l l ynobr i ghts p ot si nt hepo e m,e x c e p tt hedr e a mo ft hec h i l dwhi c hma yor ma yno tma t e r i a l i z e .Thet o nei se mpa t he t i ca n dhe a v ywi t he mo t i ona lpa i n, ps y c h ol ogi c a ls t r e s sa ndf e a r s .Wea r er e mi nde de a r l yi nt hepoe mt ha thi sa nc e s t or s a l s oha dv e r ys t r e nuo usl i v e s . Thepo e mr e mi ndsu st ha tc h i l dr e ndot hi nka b outwha t t he ywi t ne s sa r o undt he m, a ndt ha tt he i rf e a r sa ndc o nc e r nsa r er e a l .The ywi s ht obe a s s ur e d,whe t he rb yt he i rt e ac he r so rt headul t si nt he i rl i ve st ha ta l lwi l lbewe l l . The wr i t e r ' si nt e nt i ona lus eoft her e pe t i t i ous , " Iwi s h"i sa spai nf ula st hef e ar so ft hec hi l d hi ms e l f .
L I TE RALME ANI NG
Thepoem i sabout b al ac kboywhowi s he st hathec oul dha vet her e gul art hi ngsi nl i f e : t hi ngss uc ha sac o ngr a t ul a t or yhug, t obee duc a t e dt ot hehi ghe s tl e ve la ndt ot r a v el wi t houtha r a s s me nt . Thepe r s o nay e ar nst os t opfight i ngf ort heba s i cr i ghtt obe s uc c e s s f ula swe l la st os uffe r i ng. LI TERARYDEVI CES
1. REPETI TI ON: Thec ons t a ntr e pe t i t i onoft hephr a s e' Iwi s h' poi nt st oaye a r ni ng, ade s pe r a t i one ve n, f ort heba s i ct hi ngst ha tl i f eha st ooffe r . Ther e pe t i t i ongi ve sc r e de nc et ot hei de at ha t t hepe r s onami ghtbe l i e v et ha thi swi s he sa r ea c t ua l l ydr e a mst ha tmi ghtno tc o met r ue . 2. ALLUSI ON:
S t a nz a1 ,l i ne s6a nd7 ,a l l ude st os l a ve r y , t hes t a t eofl a c ki ngc ont r olo ve rone ' sownl i f e a ndde s t i ny .Thef a c tt ha tr e f e r e nc ei sma det ot hi sh i nt st ohow t hepe r s onaf e e l sa bout hi sl i f e .Hedoe snotf e ela si fheha sc ont r o love ri t . •
•
S t a nz a3 ,l i ne s19t o20 ,a l l ude st oPaulRobes on, abl a c ki nt e l l e c t ual ,whoat t a i ne d s uc c e s sde s pi t edi ffic ul tc i r c ums t a nc e s . Thepe r s o naye a r nst obel i ket hi spe r s o n. Hewa nt sr oom t os t r e t c hi nt e l l e c t ua l l y . S t a nz a4 ,l i ne s2 2t o2 5, a l l ude st ot hekl ukl uxkl a n. Bur ni ngl i ght sr e f e r st ot he bur ni ngc r os s e sandt hepyj amasal l udet ot he i rwhi t eout fit st hatl ookl i ke p yj a ma s .Thepe r s o nawa nt st he mt ol e a v ehi ma l o ne , finds o me t hi nge l s et odo o t he rt ha nma kehi sl i f edi ffic ul t ,a swe l la sc o nt r i but i ngt ohi swi s h e sr e ma i ni ng adr ea m.
I MP ORT ANTWORDS/ P HRAS E S
3. ' nots i nkt ol i c kboot s ' : Thi sr e f e r st ot hec o nc e ptofbe i ngs ubs e r vi e nt .Toha v enoc hoi c eb utt obo wt ope opl e i nor de rt og e ta he a d. 4 .' I ns i deeyeas un' : Thi sr e f e r st ot hepe r s o na ' smi nd.Hewa nt st os h ow ho wi nt e l l i g e nthei swi t houtf e a r . Hewa nt sh i smi ndt ob eas u n.S unr e pr e s e nt sb r i ght ne s sa n dl i ght ,t ha ti sh ow he wa nt shi si nt e l l i ge nc et os hi ne . TONE
Thet one /mood oft hepo e mi so neo fs a dne s s .Thepe r s o nai st hi nk i nga b outho w hei s t r e a t e da ndher e a c t st ot hi si nas a dwa y . Heke e pswi s hi ngt ha tt hi ngswe r edi ffe r e nt . : THEME Ra c i s m,a ndi t se ffe c t s , i st hema j ort he mef ort hi spoe m.Thepe r s o na ' sy e a r n i ngf or ' or di nar yt hi ngs ' hi ghl i ght show c ont ai ne dt heboy' sl i f ei s . I ti sac r yt obef r e e .
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-alem. I went to school there, then !urham, then here to this college on the hill abo"e #arlem. I am the only colored student in my class. The steps from the hill lead down into #arlem through a par$, then I cross t. %icholas, &ighth A"enue, e"enth, and I come to the , the #arlem (ranch , where I ta$e the ele"ator up to my room, sit down, and write this page) It's not easy to $now what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age. (ut I guess I'm what I feel and see and hear, #arlem, I hear you) hear you, hear me---we two---you, me, tal$ on this page. *I hear %ew or$ too.+ e---who? Well, I li$e to eat, sleep, drin$, and be in lo"e. I li$e to wor$, read, learn, and understand life. I li$e a pipe for a hristmas present, or records---(essie, bop, or (ach. I guess being colored doesn't ma$e me %T li$e the same things other fol$s li$e who are other races. o will my page be colored that I write? (eing me, it will not be white. (ut it will be a part of you, instructor. ou are white--yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That's American. ometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. %or do I often want to be a part of you. (ut we are, that's true/ As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me--although you're older---and white--and somewhat more free. This is my page for &nglish (.
&peaker The spea$er of 0Theme for &nglish (0 is a college student, but he is not 1angston #ughes. #ughes was born in 2oplin, issouri, in 3456, not in Winston-alem, %orth arolina, as the poem says. #e wrote the poem in 3478 and read it to audiences in Winston-alem. The poem is set in an earlier time, li$ely the 3465s, whe n #ughes mo"ed to #arlem in %ew or$ ity and 9oined the #arlem :enaissance. The #arlem :enaissance was an African-American art and cultural mo"ement in the early 65th century. !ace The spea$er mentions that he is 0colored0 four times. #e li"es at the #arlem A and attends the 0college on the hill abo"e #arlem,0 which could refer to the ity ollege of %ew or$ or olumbia ;ni"ersity. #e says, 0I am the only colored student in my class.0 #e refers to paper and his instructor as 0white,0 but also mentions 0other races,0 so it is li$ely the other students in the class were not all white. $usic #ughes uses a different rhythm in the third stan
arts of 0Theme for &nglish (0 rhyme and parts do not. The poem has a similar form to a college &nglish essay. The assignment comes first) 0Go home and writea page tonight. And let that page come out of youthen it will be true.0 The spea$er as$s, 0I wonder if it's that simple?0 The rest of the stan
Analysis: @Theme for &nglish ( is without a doubt one of 1angston #ughesBs most famous, belo"ed, and anthologi
olumbia ;ni"ersity or ity ollege of %ew or$+. As he wal$s home, he reali
This poem 'nce upon a time' was written by a %igerian poet $nown as Gabriel $ara. Gabriel $ara was born in 3463 in %igeria. '%& ;>% A TI&' is a poem consisting of se"en stan
In stan
which indicates that it was boring meeting the person ,howe"er he put on a smiley and cheerful face whilst tal$ing to him. To summari% A TI&' as the title of this poem. This is a poem by the %igerian poet Gabriel $ara, in which he laments the lost innocence of youth. In it he condemns the hypocrisy of adults E hemmed in and constrained by rules and con"entions E adopting mas$s for different occasions) for lying, cheating and betraying E whereas childhood is portrayed as a time of honest laughter, and spontaneity. Once Upon a Tie nce upon a time, son,
they used to laugh with their hearts and laugh with their eyes) but now they only laugh with their teeth, while their ice-bloc$-cold eyes search behind my shadow. There was a time indeed they used to sha$e hands with their hearts) but thatBs gone, son. %ow they sha$e hands without hearts while their left hands search my empty poc$ets. Jeel at home/B ome againB) they say, and when I come again and feel at home, once, twice, there will be no thricefor then I find doors shut on me. o I ha"e learned many things, son. I ha"e learned to wear many faces li$e dresses E homeface, officeface, streetface, hostface, coc$tailface, with all their conforming smiles li$e a fi=ed portrait smile. And I ha"e learned too to laugh with only my teeth and sha$e hands without my heart. I ha"e also learned to say,BGoodbyeB, when I mean Good-riddanceB) to say Glad to meet youB, without being gladF and to say ItBs been nice tal$ing to youB, after being bored. (ut belie"e me, son. I want to be what I used to be when I was li$e you. I want to unlearn all these muting things. ost of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror shows only my teeth li$e a sna$eBs bare fangs/ o show me, son, how to laughF show me how I used to laugh and smile once upon a time when I was li$e you.
