Question
Read the first two lines from Langston Hughes’s poem "I, Too, Sing America."
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
How do readers know that Hughes is alluding to Walt Whitman’s poem, “I Hear America Singing”?
Both poems have the word “sing.”
Both poems have the word “America.”
Hughes describes Whitman in his poem.
Whitman’s poem has a very similar title.
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
How do readers know that Hughes is alluding to Walt Whitman’s poem, “I Hear America Singing”?
Both poems have the word “sing.”
Both poems have the word “America.”
Hughes describes Whitman in his poem.
Whitman’s poem has a very similar title.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Readers can know that Hughes is alluding to Walt Whitman's poem, "I Hear America Singing," primarily because both poems have the word "sing" and "America." Additionally, the similar structure and themes of the two poems further establish this connection, as Hughes's poem responds to Whitman's celebration of American voices by representing the experiences of African Americans. However, the most direct evidence of the allusion is the shared use of "sing" and "America."