“I, Too” and “As I Grew Older” by Langston Hughes: Compare the ways in which both poems explore the motif of dream

In the poem “I, Too,” Langston Hughes underscores the duality of African American dreams using a seemingly tenacious African American discussing his desire to eat at the table. He employs a very defiant tone, ensuring the reader that change will happen,  however, he also appears wracked with self-doubt. This establishes the issues of trying to define our identity in relation to the expectations of others.

Through the use of metaphors, in the second stanza second line, Hughes establishes himself as the “darker brother,” hence creating a fraternal relationship implying that although he may be different to certain Americans, he is still related to them and should be viewed as family. In the second stanza, the second line, by stating that “they send me to eat in the kitchen”, Hughes demonstrates the power that others have over African Americans, further establishing African Americans to be seen as inferior in comparison to other races, due to the stereotypes and bias that has been formed in our society. Moreover, Hughes employs the word “kitchen” which is an area associated with the preparation of food before it is presented, in other words, it’s also a hidden area that is not vividly displayed to others, this is then compared to a “table” in the third stanza, the second line, which is most of the time associated with an area that individuals are able to leisurely spend time and displayed to others. Therefore, by asserting that “they send me to eat in the kitchen”, Hudges establishes the notion that the issue around bias and stereotypes are usually hidden, however, as he moves on to assert that “Tomorrow,/I’ll be at the table”, he presents the desire of different ethnicities being seen as equal, hence his desire for change in our society. Through the use of repetition, in the second stanza, Hughes repeats the “and” as he describes how he will “eat well” and “grow strong”, despite the fact that he is sent to the kitchen “when company comes”, therefore emphasizing the tenacious attitude that he holds towards challenging the stereotypes formed in the society that is restricting African Americans from reaching their full potentials. Moreover, through the use of repetition in the first stanza, first-line stating that “I, too, sing America” and the fifth stanza “I, too, am America” draws attention to the reader as the word “sing” is associated with the desire of creating unity, whereas “am” implies a concrete sense of solidarity, hence Hughes is determined that the change will transgress. Ultimately the repetition of the first and last line of the whole poem mirrors the progression of stereotypes through generations as the prejudice and bias against certain ethnicities are being passed down over years.

The poem, ‘As I Grew Older” demonstrates the notion that certain ethnic groups are restricted from pursuing their dream and full potential due to stereotypes and bias formed in our society. Through the use of a simile, in line five, Hudges describes his dream to have been “bright like a sun”, hence underscoring an optimistic and hopeful approach to his future, however, this is soon contradicted as he states that a “wall rose”. By employing the word “wall”, Hudges emphasizes the inability to pursue one’s dream as a wall is a concrete object that holds the ability to shut off every spark of light, hence the wall acts a symbol for the stereotypes formed in society. The “wall” itself mirrors the “Kitchen” in his poem “I, Too” as they both act as barriers restricting African Americans from displaying their full potential in society. Moreover, Hudges describes the wall to have “rose slowly”, therefore further mirroring the gradual build-up of stereotypes in society over many generations that eventually “touched the sky” and restricted individuals from pursuing their own dreams. The hyperbole, “touched the sky”, used in line eleven, emphasizes the extensive obstacles that Hughes faced. Furthermore, in line sixteen, Hughes demonstrates that he is now lying “down in the shadow/no longer the light of his dream before him”, through the juxtaposition between “shadow” and “light”, Hughes creates a sudden transition from an optimistic to hopeless tone. In addition, through the use of repetition in line twenty-five, Hughes emphasizes the negative connotations and breaking of stereotypes as he asserts that he needs to “break through the wall!” in order to “smash the night” and “break this shadow”, resulting in a “thousand whirling dreams of sun.”

Ultimately, both “I, Too” and “As I Grew Older” highlight the extensive obstacles faced by African Americans due to stereotypes that have been formed in our society, preventing them from pursing their dreams and reaching their full potential; however, these stereotypes can only be broken if humans begin to acknowledge the issue and understand its drawbacks.