Footnotes

1. The first line of the poem indicates that it is a response to Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing", where Whitman celebrates the diversity of workers that make up America but excludes the cultural diversity. As a response to this exclusion of blacks in America, Hughes has deliberately included himself, and blacks, into this larger picture of the US. Although presently white people don't treat blacks equally and hide them in the kitchen, within the poem this mistreatment only gives the speaker time to grow healthier and stronger. Hughes places emphasis on the importance of black people as a part of America by separating the lines "I, too, sing America" and "I, too, am America" from the rest of the stanzas. The enjambment of "then" and "tomorrow" draws attention to these words which indicate an inevitable future. Ginny Chae ▲
2. "I am the darker brother" This line poignantly declares that the subject (not just a singular "I" person but an entire group of people: African Americans) is not a seperate entity but instead is part of the "family." This poem is directly a focus to segregation between African Americans ("blacks") and Caucasion Americans ("whites"). I however, find the term "brother" to mean much more than than just a unity of people. Certainly "brother" connotes kin and family where blood and common humanity should be thicker than the color of skin and eyes and hair. But also "brother" can refer to commrade and specifically brother-in-arms. For Americans, fighting for what we believe in is a proud characteristic we identify for ourselves. African Americans have, since the Civil War, fought along side the white people, but were not recognized for these acts of "Americanism" and bravery until long after segregation ended. To be identified here as "brother" in the American sense is to add pride, strength, and a bond as tough as family. ~Kristen Williams ▲
3. Sending someone to eat in the kitchen is an insult to them because it is degrading. Servants, slaves, and children were often sent into the kitchen to eat by the head of the family. However, the speaker is growing stronger and laughing so he is not worried about his current social condition. As the end of the poem states, he or she is sure that the suppressors will be ashamed of themselves later when they see his or her beauty. The poem is optimistic for the future. ▲
4. ^ Andrew Mulhall ▲
5. The speaker asserts that he will become strong on account of what he ingests and his positive outlook of his future. I think this is important because he, like those who relegate him to dine in the kitchen, needs basic sustenance before activity. He suggests that he is preparing himself for what is to come, when in time he will stand up to those who are prejudiced against him. Line 2, "I am the darker brother," underscores this idea of the common humanity of all people regardless of color. Though this is a short poem, the speaker's body interacts with its immediate environment: he incorporates food into it, and he exhales in laughing and singing. I would argue that this constant motion, exchange of input for output, implies a high degree of vigor in both the speaker and the movement for a shared, national self-identity. Alison Mattox ▲
6. The speaker, "I," of this poem has a assertive, confident, and yet aggressive tone. He is a fighter because regardless of the discrimination he faces, being sent to "eat in the kitchen," he does not give up eating at the table just like everybody else. Does he not only tries to assert his right to receive human treatment by eating on the table, but also develops himself for the future by "[eating] well" and "[growing] strong." This self-development is especially important in his situation because the discrimination will not be resolved overnight, and in order to persevere the fight for his right as an American citizen and prove "how beautiful [he is]," he needs to stay strong for "tomorrow." -- Jung ▲
7. The speaker relates himself to a white person, but it is interesting that he does not say he is "black," but rather, "the darker brother," indicating a close, family tie. The mutual "parent" of this "family" is America, of which they are both a part. The speaker is surprisingly optimistic and confident, even while eating in the kitchen. He "laugh[s]/And eat[s] well,/And grow[s] strong." On my first read of the poem, I read the second stanza to literally be about tomorrow, the next day. But it also could be him looking forward to the future when that happens, when he may eat at the table. He hopes that eventually they will realize that they are all part of the same American family. --Cara ▲
8. In the previous stanzas, Hughes talks about the segregation of blacks and whites and the use of "I" tries to bring equality between the Americans regardless of color. The third stanza shows what the future will be like because of how Hughes uses the word "tomorrow" The use of "I" helps show that the African American community will soon rise and be one with the rest of America. When he says "nobody'll dare say to me eat in the kitchen. then" the speaker is saying that in the future when that time comes, blacks and whites will be equal and at that time there will be no one forced to eat somewhere else and downgraded by color. The "I" throughout the poem speaks for a collective community and it also shows the confidence the speaker has for this change. ~ Seema Jabbar ▲
9. In the poem Hughes the speaker argues his place in America, and how in the past he has not been assosiated with America and it's freedom, and opportunities. But that still inspite of this he still is "America". The speaker sees to be making a statement that the subordination and direspect that he face from America is longer acceptable and that he is going to be seen as an equal and treated as such, as can be seen in the lines where he talk about be at the table when company comes, and that he will no longer be told to "eat in the kitchen." The speaker then goes on to state that once people, but more importantly America begin to see him as an equal they will see how talented his is and will be ashamed. The speaker doesn't finish his thought about what "they" wil be ashamed about. This interuption provokes thought from the reader to finish the thought themself, because each person has their own personal experiences to draw from. ▲
10. The very last line of his poem, "I, too, am America," almost exactly mirrors the first line of the poem. While Hughes starts off with "I, too sing America," he ends with "I, too, am America." His initial statement shows "singing" and how is rejoicing over America, whereas in the last line he changes the statement to a metaphor. By saying he IS America, he is essentially including himself in the partaking of American culture. This headstrong stand that he takes might at first seem like an overreaction to an insignificant event where African Americans are told to eat in the kitchen when a guest comes, but it reveals just one of the many unjust ways that African Americans were treated. -Brandon ▲
11. The line "I, too, am America," reminds of Natasha Trethewey's poetry reading that I had attended several days ago. Despite much racism the two poets experienced, both Hughes and Trethewey took an optimistic view to the treatment African Americans. They both still respect the country regardless of prior treatment and consider themselves apart of it. In class we had discussed the characteristics of poetry from the Harlem Renaissance, and I think this poem truly portrays those aspects. For instance, Hughes states the poor treatment of blacks but he continues to say how "tomorrow" things will change. "Tomorrow" he will not just be "accepted", but he will be "beautiful". This is important, because these words tell the high degree to which African Americans will be respected. ▲