Langston Hughes: Questions to think about while reading the poem Brass Spittoons

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Questions to think about while reading the poem Brass Spittoons

1) What is the main theme of the poem? Who's the speaker? What is the speaker saying?

2) What does the poet suggest by "the steam," " the smoke," and "the slime." Can you explain them?

3) What does Baby, Church or Women mean? What does the poet mean by saying that they 'mixed with money'?

4) Why is a bright, polished bowl like a cups of Solomon’s? What is Solomons? What does this line mean? King Solomon's cups. King Solomon was a great Jewish king, famous for his wisdom and for his wealth. So his cups were probably polished gold or silver, and the polished brass spittoons are being compared to them.

5) What does the last-but-one line mean? "Offer that," What is the 'that'? The speaker can offer the boy a bright bowl or what? Can you explain this line? He can offer his skill to God.

1 comment:

Ms.Mongan said...: Hey guys,
These questions do ask for literal interpretations.That is because they come from an "Ask English Questions"website.Interestingly, the answers are a completely literal interpretaion. I wonder who answers the questions? The questions are from a first year college student.I thought they would work as some students may have the same. The only useful info may be the answer about Solomon, as some students may not know that info!anyway this poem still intrigues me as I have not come to a conclusion about what he is really trying to say. I have two choices, That he is illustrating how black men were treated,"Hey boy!" the thought intrudes constantly on the poet's mind, and the type of jobs they were able to get. The other is that a clean spitoon is turned into a positive-he can offer God his hard work. His work is so deeply layered that I don't think if he were alive today that he would offer an answer. One of those artist that refuse to "give" you the answer but that you have to find it.; April 18, 2008 at 9:17 PM

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Hughes' poem on Booker T.

Langston Hughes (1902-1967), known for his lyric poetry, often wrote insightful commentaries about African-American culture and race relations in the United States. In this 1941 poem he makes a case for the vindication of educator Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), the former slave and founder of Tuskegee Institute (1881) and the National Negro Business League (1900) who was harshly criticized by many people for emphasizing vocational education as the prerequisite for the political empowerment of black people. In his poem, Hughes stresses the fact that Washington wanted to train the head, the heart, and the hand. He focuses on Washington's practicality and explains the educator's strategy with the statement,
"Sometimes he had compromise in his talk--for a man must crawl before he can walkand in Alabama in '85a joker was luckyto be alive.

This simple poem says so much.I thought Booker T.Washington was a genius in his time.He had foresight that is desperately needed in today's world.Unfortunately, there was a great division of people on Booker's ideals. I think today we are seeing the results of what Booker T. was trying to prevent. Patty

"Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes

The instructor said,
Go home and write
a page tonight.
And let that page come out of you—
Then, it will be true.
I wonder if it’s that simple?
I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
I went to school there, then Durham, then here
to this college on the hill above Harlem.
I am the only colored student in my class.
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem,
through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y,
the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator
up to my room, sit down, and write this page:
It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me
at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I’m what
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you.
hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.
(I hear New York, too.) Me—who?
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like
the same things other folks like who are other races.
So will my page be colored that I write?
Being me, it will not be white.
But it will be
a part of you, instructor.
You are white—
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That’s American.
Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that’s true!
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me—
although you’re older—and white—
and somewhat more free.
This is my page for English B.