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Post by gabi.eglinton on Jan 28, 2016 21:57:12 GMT
Whitman's poem, as we discussed in class, represents each figure in society (man or woman) completing their jobs with the joy that is often associated with singing. As a singer shares his/her talent with the world, these individuals give their talents to society. This is geared towards the blue-collar work force, implying that the "American Dream" includes moving up in society, unlike tragic heroes who are born into a position of power. Literally in this poem, everyone achieves their own personal goals by day and then celebrates together at night. But what I derived from "I Hear America Singing" was how integral each individual is to society's function as a whole. These jobs (carpenter, mason, mechanic) are not showered in glory and immense wealth. However, they are vital to America in the sense that they are the building blocks that shape society. I believe that in this poem, Whitman conveyed that the "American Dream" is all about working hard to fill one's place in society.
Langston Hughes's view on the "American Dream" is clearly quite different. Do you think Hughes would agree that everyone has a predestined place in American society, or would he argue in favor of social mobility?
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Post by g00dva1b5 on Jan 29, 2016 2:56:01 GMT
I think Langston Hughes would definitely argue for social mobility. For example, in the poem "I, Too" that we analyzed in class, Hughes directly responds to Whitman by pointing out that African Americans are shunned and oppressed by American society but continue to live one. In the latter part of the poem, Hughes references to the future and points out how discrimination towards African Americans will eventually end and how everyone will be equal. His indignant tone shows how he is not happy with the treatment of African Americans, and his reference to a different future demonstrates his hopes for change. Therefore, Hughes is indicating his desire for a future with a different role for African Americans. What do you think?
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Post by jzhangx3 on Jan 30, 2016 19:41:12 GMT
Vaibhav, I agree with what you said. Langston Hughes again expresses his desire for a better future for oppressed groups like African Americans, farmers, and poor whites in "Let America be America Again." He uses repetition of the phrase, "America never was America to me" to prove that despite all the glory America promises, there are many groups of people that do not even see a glimpse of that version of America. He asks who is the narrator who is in search of equality and freedom (it is Hughes), and he replies, "I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek," showing how America is full of injustice, racism, and greed. As a result, he ends the poem with a rallying cry, a call of action, to all the oppressed groups in America, telling them to unify against the inequality and discrimination in America and once again "dream our basic dream."
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Post by Teresa Dinh on Jan 30, 2016 20:56:04 GMT
It's interesting to see how differently Whitman and Hughes viewed the American Dream. To Whitman, the dream was already achieved because in his poem, the people were prideful and singing and happy. There is diversity in the jobs performed, and the idea of independence is present, as the people were "each singing what belongs to her, and none to else." However, in Hughes's poems, he addresses the issue of inequality, especially towards blacks. Like Vaibhav and Jen said, Hughes shows how there is injustice and racism in America. Hughes's poems show that the American dream is not achieved because America lacks true equality. It brings up the topic that while white people work hard to achieve the American dream of being rich and happy, blacks must work hard to be seen as anything above property in society.
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Post by Emily Werkheiser on Jan 31, 2016 19:30:40 GMT
It is definitely interesting to look at the differences that Whitman and Hughes have in their approach and interpretation of the American Dream. I agree with Teresa in that Whitman focuses more in the pride and diversity of the blue collar jobs that make up this nation, while Hughes aims to address the racial inequality in society and the disadvantage that minorities have in reaching the American Dream.
I think it is interesting to note that in Whitman's poem, while he does praise the variety of hardworking and labor intensive jobs that make up the American society, he does not make any mention of the African Americans working hard in the fields to provide food for the nation and goods to export and fuel America's economy. Considering Whitman's position as a white man in living in the 1800s, do you think he would have agreed with and supported Hughes's fight for racial equality in achieving the American Dream, or would he disregard these claims seeing as though he gave such high praise to the society that he was living in (in which slavery was a predominant practice)?
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Post by lreinhardt230 on Feb 2, 2016 3:19:37 GMT
I think that if we are looking at how differently Hughes and Whitman perceived the American Dream, it can lead us to ask ourselves what the "American Dream" really is. These two poems, "I, Too" and "I Hear America Singing", highlight that crucial question. Is the dream about the working class and how each citizen contributes, or about ending oppression? Typically speaking, the dream is seen as moving up your social class through hard work, but Hughes is saying that this work means nothing if we leave people out of it. Maybe the dream is about opportunity in America? Just something to think about.
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Post by emsykes on Feb 2, 2016 17:43:35 GMT
Whitman's poem, as we discussed in class, represents each figure in society (man or woman) completing their jobs with the joy that is often associated with singing. As a singer shares his/her talent with the world, these individuals give their talents to society. This is geared towards the blue-collar work force, implying that the "American Dream" includes moving up in society, unlike tragic heroes who are born into a position of power. Literally in this poem, everyone achieves their own personal goals by day and then celebrates together at night. But what I derived from "I Hear America Singing" was how integral each individual is to society's function as a whole. These jobs (carpenter, mason, mechanic) are not showered in glory and immense wealth. However, they are vital to America in the sense that they are the building blocks that shape society. I believe that in this poem, Whitman conveyed that the "American Dream" is all about working hard to fill one's place in society.
Langston Hughes's view on the "American Dream" is clearly quite different. Do you think Hughes would agree that everyone has a predestined place in American society, or would he argue in favor of social mobility?
Gabi, I agree with you. To answer your question, I believe that Hughes would probably support social mobility. I came to this decision after closely analyzing "I hear America Singing". In the poem, Hughes suggests that the working class of people all generally feel the same way. Each job that Hughes lists displays a diverse field of individuals. In this way, Hughes is saying that there are many people in this world willing to be themselves, and clearly, everyone is different. The individuals in the working class want their freedom to move from job to job. After all, they are singing about the land of the free. Overall I believe Hughes was trying to say that humans are attempting to find their spot in society, and to do so, they might have to have social mobility. |
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Post by gabi.eglinton on Feb 3, 2016 1:24:55 GMT
Emily W, you made a good point. Although Whitman is clearly proud of his country and filled with nationalism, he neglected to mention African Americans(an integral part of American history and society)in his poem "I Hear America Singing". This is strange, especially because of the timing of this piece. Slavery was abolished in 1865 and Whitman was alive when this happened. I find it bizarre how in this nationalistic poem he did not express any feelings towards African Americans, positive or negative.
Perhaps(@ronald)it is like a politician's answer, one that dodges the question to avoid further controversy. Do any of Whitman's other poems more clearly portray his opinions on African Americans?
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Post by hannahcherusseril on Feb 6, 2016 23:04:38 GMT
@lreinhardt, that's a really interesting thought. The American dream has meant so many different things to so many different people. And America has always been associated with freedom and opportunity. Gabi mentioned that she thinks that Whitman was trying to say "that the "American Dream" is all about working hard to fill one's place in society." But can't you do that anywhere in the world? What makes that so distinctly American? Whitman understood that making the big bucks wasn't not the key to living an enjoyable life. But hard work is a global phenomenon. Finding one's niche and putting effort into it is not something the requires immigration to America. If that's all the American dream entitles, is the American dream a misnomer since it's not purely American but rather universal to those who consider themselves achieved in whatever it is that they do?
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Post by anewman98 on Feb 8, 2016 1:28:46 GMT
I think Langston Hughes would argue for social mobility. In "I, Too", he focuses on the future rather than the present and believes he will become successful in his own way. Walt Whitman's view of the American Dream is much more focused on the rigid class structure of America. This is challenged by Hughes saying "Tomorrow, I'll be at the table". He believes one can change their status while Whitman doesn't.
These differing viewpoints are shown in the two poets' writing styles. In "I Hear America Singing", the poem has a a song-like feel. Each line begins with the description of a different job, but each worker has the same view of workday America. They approach their status and job with happiness and thankfulness. The long sentences indicate the unchanging routine of life.
On the contrary, Hughes's "I, Too", is read more like a speech. The enjambment of thoughts in sentence structure makes the reader stop and reflect on the American Dream. As one reflects, they too are led to believe that the routine of life doesn't have to stay the same. Just like the ambitious "darker brother", one can change their social status with a passionate mindset.
All in all, I think the different writing styles show the different viewpoints of the American Dream. To some, it is a rigid song to be listened to for the music and not the lyrics. To others, it is an empowering speech to inspire growth and social justice.
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