Analyze “Theme for English B”

  1. Read (and re-read) "Theme for English B."
  2. Answer the following questions in complete, detailed sentences. (Your answers will count as a participation grade.)
  3. In what ways does the speaker define him/herself? In what terms does he/she state his/her identity? In other words, how does the speaker answer the question "who are you"? List and describe as many of the speaker's different answers to this question as you can find.
  4. What do you notice about the structure of the poem? What marks its beginning, middle, and end? What is the focus/main idea of each stanza? Which parts are developed in more detail than others, and why? How do the sections of the poem logically relate to each other (i.e. what is the flow of ideas)?
  5. What do you notice about the style of this poem? Where does Hughes use rhythm and rhyme, and how do they affect the poem? What unique word choices has Hughes made in order to characterize the speaker? What literary techniques are present in the poem, and how do they help add meaning?
  6. Brainstorm possible ways to define your own identity, keeping in mind how the speaker of the poem defines his/her identity. Come up with as many ideas about your own identity as you can using the brainstorming method of your choice (e.g. listing, freewriting, etc.).
  7. Using the original poem as a guide, write your own poem that imitates the structure and style of "Theme for English B." It should be roughly (though not necessarily exactly) the same length, and should have a similar structure (i.e. the content should be organized in a similar way). Remember that your goal is to reveal your identity by letting your writing truly "come out of you."

Requirements

  • You must answer the questions in step two above using complete, detailed sentences.
  • Your poem must begin with the first five lines of "Theme for English B" (i.e. "The instructor said..."), then move into your own words.
  • Your poem must present a detailed description of your own identity in a variety of ways (i.e. it must offer a detailed answer to the question "who are you").
  • Your poem must imitate the structure and style of Hughes' original poem (but it must not plagiarize any of the original).
  • The finished product of your poem must be typed or neatly written in pen (or marker) and have one picture of you and four pictures that represent you. A total of five pictures need to be on the poem.

Analyze the poem:

  1. In what ways does the speaker define him/herself? In what terms does he/she state his/her identity? In other words, how does the speaker answer the question "who are you"? List and describe as many of the speaker's different answers to this question as you can find.

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  1. What do you notice about the structure of the poem? What marks its beginning, middle, and end? What is the focus/main idea of each stanza? Which parts are developed in more detail than others, and why? How do the sections of the poem logically relate to each other (i.e. what is the flow of ideas)?

______

  1. What do you notice about the style of this poem? Where does Hughes use rhythm and rhyme, and how do they affect the poem? What unique word choices has Hughes made in order to characterize the speaker? What literary techniques are present in the poem, and how do they help add meaning?

______

Brainstorm: Think about ways to define your own identify by using Langston Hughes’ poem as a guideline. Remember to keep the first five lines the same of “Theme for English B” and then move into your own words.