I, TOO
by
James Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
«Eat in the kitchen»,
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed:
I, too, am America.

The text "I, too" is a poem written by James Langston Hughes.
From the title, the reader's expectation is to read something about a person and the comparison between two parts, underlined with the word "too". The title raises the curiosity in the reader because you do not know what the two parts are and what are they differences.
This poem is an anti-discrimination poem, talking about the injustice of the white to the black. It is well-known that in America the white are always prejudiced the black because of their colour. This treatment makes the black feel that they do not belong to this country; they are only servants or slaves.
The poem is organized into two stanzas. The first one is made up of seven line and the verbs used are the present simple, while the second one is made up of eleven line and the verbs used are the future. This is because the first stanza talks about the present situation of black and the present is something temporary and short, which has a beginning and an end, so the length is shorter; while the second stanza talks about the future situation of black and the future has not got an end, it is unlimited so the stanza is longer.
The first line of the poem, "I, too, sing America," clearly signifies one thing: Just because his skin colour is different from whites, he argues that he also sings the Nation America the same as whites do. More important, the voice of the poem, the servant, argues that he too is America. The use of the proper noun of the Nation instead the use of the adjective "American" means that he fells part of the State and he is like the other people; he is part of America not part of American population.
The poem shows the disrespect from the master to his servant by sending him away every time visitors come, because he is ordered to eat in the kitchen - excluded from company. However, it does not disturbed him one bit, he finds it very funny, supported by line 5: "But I laugh."
Furthermore, while excluded in the kitchen, he eats well. Not only does he find amusement and eat well in his unpleasant situation, but the isolation also has a positive effect on him because he becomes stronger, verified by line 7: "And grow strong." This line shows that even though the servant pains in submission, he will not let it kill his spirit.
The second stanza talks about the future changes of the black's situation. When they finally see a black man at the table, they will recognize the beauty of an African American, and look stupid with shame. In the future, the Whites will recognize that Blacks will be free and at the same level of them.
The message of the poem is that Blacks ought to have the same freedom as whites, and take a stand when need be, they have equal rights too, like every white person in the world. The last line, "I, too, am America," is a perfect closure to an excellent poem.
More important, the title - "I, Too" - has major importance, because it implicates that multiple races make up the face of America and not only whites.