I Too, Sing America
In the poem, ‘I too, sing America’, the key symbol is the ‘darker brother’. The ‘darker brother’ has been used to symbolize the African Americans. The phrase ‘darker brother’ qualifies as a symbol since it holds a deeper meaning. The literal meaning of the phrase indicates someone who is not as light skinned as his colleagues. The figurative meaning, on the other hand, stands for the African Americans who were fighting for equality among all people of different skin colors. In the poem, ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’, the key symbol is the river. The literal meaning of the phrase represents the greatest rivers of the world. However, the figurative meaning evokes the strength and impacts of the dark skinned people in the world.
In the poem, ‘I too, sing America’, repetition has been used to highlight the main idea that the writer was driving home. The writer used the word ‘and’ to emphasize how well the African American servant was doing. In the poem, ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’, the writer has repeated the line ‘My soul has grown deep like the rivers’ to emphasize the idea of strength and humility of the African Americans.
The effect of a poem is described as the feelings it evokes on the reader. The reader is made to think in different ways as they read the poem. The poem, ‘I too, sing America’, compels the reader to think about the oppressed African Americans who are longing for freedom. In the poem, ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’, the reader is made to think of the strong will of the African Americans. This is clearly seen in the repeated line.
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
The poem, ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’, can be described as a couplet. A couplet is a poem that contains ending words rhyming in two lines. The most vivid example here is;
‘Ancient, dusky rivers, My soul has grown deep like the rivers’
On the other hand, the poem ‘I too, sing America’ is a lyric. This poem is subjective and has rhyme. It reveals the thoughts of the writer by creating a single impression.
Comparison Analysis of the Two Poems
The two poems are seen to have one overall theme. That is the oppression of African Americans and racism. In the poems, the struggle for freedom is clear, and the desire to be treated as equals cannot be ignored. In the poem, ‘I too, sing America’, the dark skinned servants dream of a day when they do not have to be chased from the dining table. In the poem ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’, the immense strength of the dark skinned is clearly seen through their works.
The poems evoke related reactions by the reader. The first poem evokes the realization that the African Americans are suffering and that they are yearning for freedom. This creates the emotional feeling that their long-awaited freedom is near. The second poem evokes a similar reaction by the reader. The African Americans are a strong race, and their strength is yet to be seen.
The poem, ‘I too, sing America’, means that skin color is not the determinant of the true Americans. It goes reveals the struggle of the African American in a foreign land. The second poem means that even dark-skinned people have immense power to do marvelous things. It further shows their strength and their motivation.
Summary
The main ethical point in the poem, ‘I too, sing America’ is that skin color is not an indicator of class or importance in society. It shuns the actions of employers for treating African Americans in an unfair manner. The poem, ‘The Negro speaks of Rivers’, points out that he dark skinned people, too, have the ability and power to do as much as their light-skinned counterparts.