Week 11 Poetry Blog

     For week eleven, I chose the following poems: “I, Too,” “Motto,” and “High to Low” by Langston Hughes were three of the poems chosen. “Dusting,” and “Sometimes the Words are So Close” by Julia Alvarez are the other two poems I chose.

       “I, Too” by Langston Hughes seems to depict the life of an African American. The speaker of the poem feels like telling everyone that he is an American just like they are. In the first stanza, the speaker of the poem does not seem to be bothered by the fact that he is sent to the kitchen to eat when company comes. He wants to shout he is also an American and knows that a day will come soon when he will be allowed and welcomed to eat in the dining room with people of all color. In the second stanza, he speaks of a day when he will not be asked to eat in the kitchen. This poem seems to depict how many have felt over the years when faced with prejudice.

       “Motto” by Langston Hughes is another poem I chose. Even though it is short, it has a cute ring to it. The speaker of the poem must be telling his motto in life. He seems to feel like he is a cool person. He goes so far to say that being cool is the reason he stays alive. As the poem ends though, the speaker lets the audience know that he needs to feel like everyone likes him, but he must show others that kindness in return.

       “High to Low” is the last poem by Langston Hughes that I chose. The speaker seems to be talking to someone that he doesn’t think highly of. This person seems to belong to the same race as the speaker. The speaker feels that they are low. He doesn’t think they are representing their race well. The speaker seems quite irritated by the other person in this poem. He even speaks about the children of the other person not having a neat appearance. The speaker seems to also be trying to convey to the other person his disappointment. The speaker obviously feels like the high person in this poem. The speaker feels like the low person can do a better job representing their race.

       “Sometimes the Words are So Close” by Julia Alvarez is one of the poems I chose also. The speaker of this poem seems to be an inspirational speaker. The speaker seems to be telling the audience that she feels alive when her words are down on paper. The words of her poem seem to be giving directions to the audience as well. She wants the audience to take to heart what she has to say. She must be speaking from the heart. That must be why she feels so close to the words of the poem.

       “Dusting” by Julia Alvarez is the last poem I chose. The speaker of the poem seems to be in conflict with her mother. It seems like the speaker of the poem doesn’t feel valued by her mother either. It seems like the speaker of the poem wants to rebel and nothing like her mother. The speaker of the poem wants to exercise their own type of individuality. The mother must be trying to get the speaker to conform from erasing everything the speaker tries to do. Many daughters feel like they know everything and experience turmoil with their mother as they get older.