In I, too, sing
America there is a lot of imagery even though t is such a short poem. This poem
has a lot of depth for how short it is. In the poem Hughes talks about the
kitchen. By how he talks about it, it seems like a very bad place; A place that
nobody would want to be in by choice. The kitchen is a place for the help and people
who are not wanted or welcome at the table. The speaker of the poem knows that
it is a bad place but he goes without a fight because he knows his day will
come when he sits at the table with the company.
There are a lot of different sound devices in this poem. One
example of alliteration is “company comes” because it uses the sound C twice in
a row. This enhances the poem because it puts emphasis on the fact that he only
eats in the kitchen when there is company; it puts focus on that statement. There
is a lot of repetition in the poem. The main stanza is basically repeated but
with a different beginning. This repetition helps the story.
The whole poem is a metaphor for the oppression of African Americans
during the Harlem renaissance. The speaker is oppressed by having to eat in the
kitchen but he knows that his day will come when he gets to eat at the table. The
table is a symbol for society, that one day he will be able to go in public and
not be looked down upon. He knows that the day will come and now he is waiting,
getting strong and laughing because he knows what is going to happen.
