Theme-for-English-B5120.pdf

题目： Theme for English B 原文： The instructor said, Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you-- Then, it will be true. I wonder if it's that simple I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. I went to school there, then Durham, then here to this college on the hill above Harlem. 纽约黑人聚居区哈林（Harlem） I am the only colored student in my class. The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room, sit down, and write this page: It's not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you: hear you, hear me--we two--you, me, talk on this page. (I hear New York, too.) Me--who Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. I like to work, read, learn, and understand life. I like a pipe for a Christmas present, or records--Bessie, bop, or Bach. bessie smith（爵士乐人物） 、博普爵士音乐、巴赫 休斯的诗歌从黑人的音乐和民歌中汲取营养，把爵士乐的节奏融入于自由诗中，因而他的诗开阔，舒展 I guess being colored doesn't make me not like the same things other folks like who are other races. So will my page be colored that I write Being me, it will not be white. But it will be a part of you, instructor. You are white-- yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That's American. Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you. But we are, that's true! As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me-- although you're older--and white-- and somewhat more free. This is my page for English B 译文： 作者介绍： 兰斯顿·休斯(1902—1967)在美国文坛,尤其是黑人文学方面,是一个举足轻重的人物。

他写过小说、戏剧、散文、历史、传记等各种文体的作品,还把西班牙文和法文的诗歌翻译成英文,甚至编辑过其他黑人作家的文选,但他主要以诗歌著称,被誉为“黑人民族的桂冠诗人”1960 年代黑人领袖马丁·路德·金那篇流传至今、脍炙人口的《我有个梦想》跟休斯的关于“梦想”的诗歌有直接的联系 赏析： The poem's everyday language and style makes it easy to read and understand. He does not use comparisons like similes and metaphors-in fact he is very straightforward in what he has to communicate. （共性） This reinforces the underlying message of the poem; that he feels secure in who he is, and will not try to be someone he is not. In his poem Theme for English B, a response to an assignment given by his class instructor and Langston Hughes writes about the differences between himself and his instructor's race. He talks about being the only colored person in his class and expresses the feeling of being similar to other races, primarily white and yet different throughout the poem. Although he details the commonalities between the two races, Langston manages to write a poem that is representational of his colored ethnic background, using his community, Harlem and as a source of inspiration. Harlem does not only have an effect ON Langston but ON his white professor and classmates as well. They are going to school in the community ON a daily bases and share in the same emotions Harlem imposes ON Langston. This is a parallel link between the races Langston does not address. He fails to show how the similar effects a poor neighborhood will have ON any race. Instead he chooses to illustrate everyday activities almost all races engage in. He states in the poem I like to eat, sleep and drink, and I like to work, read, learn and understand life. By using these mundane activities he manages not to single himself out from his classmates or his instructor and but shows the similarities they share. He uses the statement I guess being colored doesn't make me not like the same things other folks like who are other races. to further strengthen his point of being comparable to his white counterparts. Using these common links and Langston illustrates how he can be from any race and goes ON to tell the instructor in the poem, You are white-yet a part of me and as I am a part of you. That's American. suggesting that by being American you are part of all races. To his credit Langston does suggest that his professor will be free from Harlem's poverty effects. His statement Although you're older-and white and somewhat more free made later in the poem can be interpreted as the professor's freedom to be omitted from the emotions Langston derives from Harlem. At the time Langston had written his poem, 1949, colored people were not treated as fairly as white people were and was not entitled to the same benefits, economic or other and some white people enjoyed. Therefore the professor would have been able to reside out of Harlem or live in one of its better parts, where as and Langston would not. Thus, even after proving his similarities with his professor and he maintained that his experiences would still be different. His statement So will my page be colored that I write Being me it will not be white. exemplifies this point of view. Overall Langston's poem echoes his pride of belonging to a colored background. This is revealed in his statement, （课后问题六）Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you. However, he admits that even though he shares a different ethnic background with the instructor and he proclaims that the similarities they share make them part of each other and he refers to that statement as being true. Langston's poem takes the reader ON a journey through the commonalities （共性） between races but does so from a colored view. In my opinion his poem is a good representation of what he was feeling inside at the time and therefore makes it true. （课后问题一二） the speaker/student is not sure “it’s that simple.” Then he begins to list all the reasons that such an assignment might not be so simple: he is twenty-two, older than most students in his class probably, colored (which we now call “African American”); he was born in North Carolina, went to school in Durham, NC, then came to college in Harlem. Furthermore, he is the only African American in his class, which might seem strange for Harlem in 1951, when the poem was published. Next, he starts to list what he likes: “Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. / I like to work, read, learn, and understand life. / I like a pipe for a Christmas present, / or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.” Then he supposes that being African American does not make him all that different in the things he likes as other races. （课后问题四）So the question occurs to him: “So will my page be colored that I write” He wonders if his race will make a difference in what he writes, and he wonders whether he will be able to communicate with a white instructor, because he is black. （课后问题四）He, then, asserts that what he writes will “not be white,” but it will be part of the instructor. Even though he is black and the instructor is white, they are still part of each other: “That's American.” But he admits that he is aware that at times whites do not want to be part of blacks, and also the reverse is true. But regardless of those racial feelings of separation, the speaker believes that they are still part of each other, whether they like it or not. Finally, the speaker concludes with a very important insight: that as the black student learns from the white instructor, the white instructor also learns from the black student, even though the instructor is older, white, and “somewhat more free” than the black student is. He ends by saying “This is my page for English B.” He apparently feels that he has exhausted the truth of this particular subject. In Langston Hughes poem “Theme for English B,” the literary elements like plot, character, setting, tone, point of view, symbols, and themes weight heavy throughout this poem. The plot seems to take on a very structured, by providing detailed background information. The plot is clearly connected to the setting as Hughes states “I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. I went to school there, then Durham, then here to this college on the hill above Harlem.” It sets an indicator of the time period and growth. The setting begins as the student is instructed to “go home and write”, “Then, it will be true.” The setting seems to give indication, of a young college student experiencing the world through a colored man’s eyes. The setting takes you to a time before or during desegregation. （废止种族歧视）As the writer begins to explore his thoughts his self-assessment sets the tone throughout the poem. The tone indicates his feelings toward growing up colored in a white world. The author attitude towards truth seems to start from the very beginning of the poem. In which, you begin to see the character take form. The main character can be considered a round or protagonist（主角） character. Because of all of his accomplishment it appears that he is very well educated and knowledgeable. As the protagonist begins to discuss his point of view on society can be argued. The argument of “That’s American” can be misunderstood. Due to during that time period colored were not considered American, but Africans. During giving his point of view the protagonist（主角） begins to show that the symbols and themes are closely related to the task at hand. The protagonist seems to be hinting at the fact that are skin may be different, “yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American. Which “that’s American” symbols that it doesn’t matter what color you are America is a country of multi-colored people. It seems as the protagonist moves throughout the story the interior monologue is clear. At the beginning of the poem the protagonist gives you the feeling that he is somewhat of arrogant. Throughout the poem the protagonist seems to develop into a more stock character. The climax of the poem seems to draw all elements such as the plot, character, setting, tone, point of view, symbols, and themes, to make a even flow read. The protagonist opens your eyes to the views of racism, social status, and political equality in America. The realization of these views sets the tone, symbols, and themes. The protagonist questions the instructor from the very beginning. With the statement “I wonder if it’s that simple”, because being young, colored, and educated was not easy. The tone, symbols, and themes give you such understanding and clarity of what this protagonist young life experience of being true to oneself is evident. 。