Essay on I Hear America Singing: Comparing Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes

I Hear America Singing is a poem written by Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes has written, I Too Sing America, which are poems that were written in late 1800. Both have effects that are everlasting in America and have values, which are inspirational, which vary their topics. Both poems speak about the identity in America in which the minorities are oppressed, and their voices are heard. Therefore, the poems are similar and different in many ways, while Langston Hughes is known to be more visionary than Whitman.

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Whitman is a quintessential poet from America who is in whole being multi-faceted. In his poem, I Hear America Singing he refers to ".... The varied carols..." who are the carpenter, the deck man, the mason, and the boatman (Walt). Whiteman includes all the genders in his poem, where he lists "...the mothers, the girl sewing or washing, and the young of wife and work..." (Walt). Whitman describes all his characters with their tasks where the works defined each person. He also uses lines that are long and full of details that describe his characteristics. The poem does not have rhyme, and the lines in the poem are no broken into stanzas. The poem freely flows where he uses freedom of individuals as the stylistic theme of the poem. Hughes's poem uses first language strong sounds, which expresses the poet's feelings towards racism, and vivid imagery. The poem remains to be so effective because of its genuine emotions, where it shows anti-discrimination, resulting to the injustices of racism.

The poem is similar in whole since both have strength in the poems. Both show people who are overcoming different obstacles in their lives in society and how they are affected by the challenges. They are both striving to create a better community. They have risen their voices showing the meaning of the American constitution. For example, Whitman writes about "...the varied carols..." of the "mechanics" and other workers while Hughes speaks of African Americans who are known as underdogs in American history, "...tomorrow, nobody will dare..." (Langston).

Despite the similarities, they have a vast amount of differences. Whitman's poem is more complex and formal, while Langston Hughes's poem is more personal or individual and straightforward. Also, Whitman is more focus on the strength as a whole in Africa, while Hughes' in his poem mainly talks about himself and how he is interacting with society. I Hear America Singing is a poem that primarily focuses on the working force while I Too Hear America Singing mainly is a poem that is focusing on slavery and segregation.

Langston Hughes is called a visionary man, while Whitman has not because of many reasons. His writings are visionary because he has voiced African-American reality, in which he has embraced both the state of what it is and what it can be. He is also a visionary because he has raised out his voice in places where it was previously silent. Americans got capable of asserting out their voices without doubts, even though there was a great struggle with the African American when they formed groups at some levels, they were able to find some shared identity. Hughes, too, gives out a voice to those who are neither blacks nor whites. Harlem Renaissance had an essential influence on society and as well as Hughes. This makes him visionary because he was able to take the condition of "Harlem cabaret," hence placing it into a broader context.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both poems have established a backbone of the American determination and strength for the beginning but in two different ways. Whitman's poetry is seen to focus mainly on society as a whole while Langston is more personal in his poem, and he shows how anti-discrimination has brought about social injustices. The poems are also similar because they are keen to manifest the obstacles which the societies face. Both have differences where the two poets differ in personal traits and the poems they have written. Also, Langston has been discussed as a visionary man while Whitman is not.

Works Cited

Walt, Whitman. "I Hear America Singing." Philomel Books 1860

Langston, Hughes. "I, Too, Sing America." The collected poems of Langston Hughes 1925