What is the main Theme in Theme for English B?
Race, Identity, and Belonging. “Theme for English B” is a poem about the complexities of identity in a racist society. Its speaker—a black student at Columbia University in the 1950s—receives an apparently straightforward assignment: to write one page about himself.
What is the structure of Theme for English B?
‘Theme for English B’ by Langston Hughes is a thirty-six line poem that is divided into stanzas of varying lengths. The shortest is only one line long and the longest is twenty lines. There is not a single pattern of rhyme that Hughes used to structure the entire poem, although the poem does contain rhyme.
What is the mood of the poem Theme for English B?
The mood of this poem is very inspiring. Hughes writes how he is very accepting to the fact that he’s African-American. It’s inspiring because, if he is happy with who he is-even being treated unfairly-then we should learn to love ourselves.
Who is the speaker in the poem Theme for English B?
The speaker of “Theme for English B” self-identifies as a black person, “the only colored student in my class.” For the first half of the poem, the speaker emphasizes the ways in which his ethnicity separates him, physically and figuratively, from his white classmates and professor.
What is the attitude in the poem Theme for English B?
At the beginning of “Theme for English B,” the speaker uses an uncertain, questioning tone to describe the teacher’s assignment to write a page about himself, asking if he can really produce something “true” since he’s so different from the other students.
What is the metaphor in Theme for English B?
The line “Bessie, bop, or Bach” show both alliteration and allusion because it repeats the ‘b’ sound and it refers to two musical artists. The metaphor builds you up towards his main idea of race and equality by saying that they are all one and the same.
What is English B in CXC?
The English B examination is offered at the General Proficiency level. The Assessment comprises three papers, Paper 01, Paper 02, and Paper 031 or Paper 032. The CSEC examination, also known as CXC, is a Caribbean based assessment that includes a wide range of subjects, including English Language and Literature.
Who is Bessie in English B?
The Bessie he is referring to is almost certainly Bessie Smith. Bessie Smith was a well known jazz and blues singer from the 20’s and 30’s. She fits with Hughes’ theme in this poem because she appealed to both black and white audiences, which was not common in that time period.