1. Theme for English B Langston Hughes, 1951
(Long ago, writing assignments were called themes.)

2. Overview Speaker: 22-year-old black student
English assignment: Write a page, and “let that page come out of you – / Then, it will be true” (4-5)
Skepticism: Will an old, white professor accept a young, black man’s truth as the truth?

3. Themes Truth - Whose truth counts? Whose doesn’t?
- Link to “Ballad of the Landlord”
- H. Renaissance = validation of black truth
Identity
- Who am I? Do I belong?
Integration
- White and black = America

4. Free verse
An open form of poetry that follows the form of natural speech
Does not follow a rigid and consistent pattern or rhyme scheme (unrestrained by traditional boundaries)
Gives the poet total control over the development of the poem
Allows for poetic license

5. Free verse: Poetic license
Poetic license = the poet’s freedom to experiment with writing:
- omitting parts of a word
- altering word order in a line
- ignoring grammar rules
The result is a more spontaneous and individualized product (like jazz music!)

6. Section 1: Lines 1-5 The instructor’s assignment
Introduction to theme of truth
A black man following a white man’s orders (power structure)

7. Section 2: Lines 6-15 Basic biographical facts Abundance of locations
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina (South)
- Durham, North Caroline (South)
- college on the hill (The City College of
New York) (North)
- Harlem (North)

8. Section 2: Lines 6-15 Abundance of locations - Harlem (North) - a park
- St. Nicholas Ave
- Eighth Ave
- Seventh Ave
- Harlem YMCA

9. Section 2: Lines 6-15 Abundance of locations
- Harlem YMCA = community center and
youth hostel
- elevator
- room

10. Section 2: Lines 6-15 Geography motif
Motif = a recurring element that adds symbolic significance to a story or poem
(Rain is a popular motif in many films.)
Geography + movement = change
Change  progress
Suggestive of the Great Migration
Is the speaker a New Negro?

11. Section 2: Lines 6-15 Commitment to education
- “I am the only colored student in my
class” (10)
- “ and write this page:” (15)

12. Section 2: Lines 6-15 End-stopped line vs. enjambment
End-stopped = a line that has end punctuation, providing a neat and complete “package” of ideas
Enjambment = a line that does not have end punctuation, forcing an idea to “run over” into the next line  delays closure, increases anticipation

13. Section 3: Lines 16-27 opposites 1st-person I + 3rd-person you
- “I” makes the reader feel like the speaker
- “you” makes the reader feel like the
instructor
Likeness (vs. divergence)
- “you and me” (16)
- student and instructor
- black and white
- speaker and audience
opposites

14. Section 3: Lines 16-27
Stream of Consciousness = open, unrestricted writing that captures all the thoughts and feelings passing through a person’s mind.
Characterized by:
- abrupt starts and stops
- leaps from one idea to another
- lines that don’t make sense to the reader

15. Section 3: Lines 16-27 Hypophora Universal qualities
- eat, sleep, drink, be in love
- work, read, learn, understand life
- Christmas, pipe, records
Assertion of likeness = assertion of identity
- I am American like you.

16. Section 3: Lines 16-27
Double entendre = a word or phrase that can be interpreted in two ways
- “colored” (27) = black skin or black ink
- “white” (28) = white skin or blank paper
- Clearly, the speaker is clever and very
aware of his lowly place in society ––
and he’s willing to confront it

17. Section 4: Lines 28-41 Conjunctions that show contrast or change
- But, yet, Nor, although
Integration
Mutual rejection of the other
Assertion of truth

18. Section 4: Lines 28-41
Volta = the turn; a sudden, dramatic change in thought or emotion
- Impact on audience?
Link between whiteness and freedom
- Impact on tone?

19. Section 4: Lines 28-41
Understatement = an expression of lesser strength than is expected; used to emphasize an idea or highlight irony
- “somewhat more free” (40)
- “This is my page for English B.” (41)
This is far more than just an assignment.

20. Tone Doubtful = feeling uncertain or skeptical about something
Provocative = deliberately causing anger or another strong emotion; inflaming
Sarcastic = using irony to show bitterness or contempt
Scornful = expressing contempt for someone or something that is considered unworthy