“Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

“Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes, first published in 1951 as part of his collection Montage of a Dream Deferred, is among his most celebrated poems for its exploration of race, identity, and truth in America. The poem begins with the instructor’s assignment—“Go home and write a page tonight. / And let that page come out of you— / Then, it will be true”—which sets up the speaker’s reflection on what “truth” means for a young, twenty-two-year-old Black student in a predominantly white academic space. Hughes weaves personal details—“I am the only colored student in my class,” “I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love,” and “I like a pipe for a Christmas present, / or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach”—to show that identity is both individual and universal, challenging racial boundaries by emphasizing shared human experiences. The poem’s popularity stems from its honest, conversational tone and its bold assertion of interconnectedness: “You are white— / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. / That’s American.” By situating the self within Harlem, music, and the broader American context, Hughes captures both the divisions and the possibilities of mutual learning across racial lines, making the poem a timeless reflection on identity and belonging.

Text: “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.

Annotations: “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

Text (Lines)	Annotation (Simple English)	Literary Devices
The instructor said, / Go home and write / a page tonight.	The poem starts with the teacher’s assignment: write a page that shows your truth.	Dialogue 🗨️, Instruction 📘
And let that page come out of you— / Then, it will be true.	The teacher suggests writing honestly will automatically create truth.	Irony ⚡ (since truth is not always simple), Theme of Identity 🎭
I wonder if it’s that simple?	The student questions if truth can really be captured so easily.	Rhetorical Question ❓, Tone of Doubt 🌫️
I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. / I went to school there, then Durham, then here…	The speaker shares his background: his age, race, and education history.	Autobiography 📖, Direct Statement 📝
I am the only colored student in my class.	Shows isolation and racial difference in his learning environment.	Social Commentary 🏛️, Contrast ⚖️
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem…	Moves from college to Harlem, describing his physical and cultural environment.	Imagery 🎨, Setting 🌆
It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age.	He reflects on the difficulty of defining truth at a young age.	Philosophical Tone 🧠, Universality 🌍
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.	Suggests a dialogue between himself and Harlem—his environment shapes his identity.	Personification 🗣️ (Harlem speaks), Repetition 🔁
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love… or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.	Lists his simple, human pleasures, showing shared humanity across races.	Cataloguing 📋, Alliteration 🎶 (“Bessie, bop, Bach”)
I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like the same things other folks like who are other races.	Affirms common humanity despite racial divisions.	Theme of Equality ⚖️, Conversational Tone 💬
So will my page be colored that I write?	He questions if his race influences his writing.	Metaphor 🎭 (“colored page” = identity), Question ❓
Being me, it will not be white. / But it will be a part of you, instructor.	His writing reflects himself (Black identity) but also connects to his teacher (white).	Contrast ⚖️, Symbolism 🌈
That’s American.	Recognizes America as a mix of identities, even when in tension.	Theme of National Identity 🇺🇸, Conciseness ✂️
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!	Acknowledges racial tension yet unavoidable interconnectedness.	Paradox ♾️, Realism 🌑
As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me—although you’re older—and white—and somewhat more free.	He admits inequality (teacher has more freedom), but also suggests mutual exchange.	Irony ⚡, Parallelism 🔄, Theme of Education 🎓
This is my page for English B.	Ends the poem by fulfilling the assignment, blending personal truth and reflection.	Closure 🔚, Self-Assertion ✊

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

Device	Example (from poem)	Explanation (Simple English)
1. Alliteration 🎶	“Bessie, bop, or Bach”	Repetition of the “b” sound highlights rhythm and musicality, echoing the theme of jazz and cultural variety.
2. Allusion 🔗	“Bessie, bop, or Bach”	Refers to famous musicians: Bessie Smith (blues), bop (jazz), Bach (classical). This shows cultural breadth and identity.
3. Anaphora 🔁	“I hear you: hear you, hear me—we two—you, me”	Repetition at the beginning of phrases creates rhythm and emphasizes mutual exchange between poet and Harlem.
4. Assonance 🎵	“Go home and write / a page tonight”	Repetition of the long “o” sound creates musical flow, softening the instruction tone.
5. Autobiographical Tone 📖	“I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.”	Hughes shares personal facts, grounding the poem in his lived reality.
6. Cataloguing 📋	“I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.”	A list of simple pleasures highlights universal human experiences across races.
7. Contrast ⚖️	“Being me, it will not be white. / But it will be / a part of you, instructor.”	Contrasts Black and white identities while stressing shared humanity.
8. Dialogue 🗨️	“The instructor said, / Go home and write a page tonight.”	The poem begins with a classroom conversation, framing the assignment.
9. Enjambment ➡️	“I guess I’m what I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you:”	Lines run into each other without pause, mimicking natural thought and speech.
10. Imagery 🎨	“The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, / through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas…”	Vivid description paints the student’s journey and environment.
11. Irony ⚡	“Then, it will be true.”	The teacher claims writing truth is simple, but the student ironically questions whether truth can really be captured that way.
12. Metaphor 🎭	“So will my page be colored that I write?”	“Colored page” is a metaphor for racial identity influencing his writing.
13. Paradox ♾️	“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!”	Despite resistance, both are inseparable in the American experience.
14. Personification 🗣️	“Harlem, I hear you: hear you, hear me”	Harlem is given a voice, symbolizing the neighborhood as a living influence on identity.
15. Repetition 🔂	“I hear you: hear you, hear me”	Repeated words emphasize connection and rhythm, reinforcing mutual understanding.
16. Rhetorical Question ❓	“I wonder if it’s that simple?”	Challenges the idea that writing automatically equals truth.
17. Setting 🌆	“This college on the hill above Harlem.”	Establishes the geographical and cultural divide between the student’s school and Harlem.
18. Symbolism 🌈	“Being me, it will not be white.”	Whiteness symbolizes mainstream power; the student’s writing symbolizes his Black identity.
19. Theme of Identity 🎭	“I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like the same things other folks like.”	Explores racial identity while showing universal human similarities.
20. Tone 🎤	Shifts from questioning (“I wonder if it’s that simple?”) to reflective (“As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me”).	Tone moves from doubt to recognition of interconnectedness and learning.

Themes: “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

🔹 Search for Personal Identity
The poem revolves around the speaker’s effort to discover what it means to be himself as both an individual and a young Black student in America. The instructor’s simple prompt—“Go home and write a page tonight. / And let that page come out of you— / Then, it will be true”—leads the speaker to question whether truth and identity can be so easily expressed. He reflects on his age and experiences: “I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. / I went to school there, then Durham, then here”, situating himself within personal and geographical contexts. The speaker’s search highlights that identity is not fixed or singular; rather, it is shaped by history, race, and environment, making the poem a profound exploration of selfhood.

🔹 Racial Experience and Difference
Hughes directly addresses the racial divide through the speaker’s acknowledgment of being “the only colored student in my class.” This phrase encapsulates the isolation of being a minority within a predominantly white institution. Yet, the speaker insists on the complexity of his humanity, emphasizing ordinary joys like “I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love”—shared desires that transcend race. The question, “So will my page be colored that I write? / Being me, it will not be white”, underscores how identity inevitably carries racial experiences, but also suggests that race does not limit one’s universality. Through these lines, Hughes portrays the racialized reality of American life while insisting on shared human commonalities.

🔹 Interconnectedness of People
A defining strength of the poem is its recognition that individuals, regardless of race, are bound together in mutual influence. The speaker declares, “You are white— / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. / That’s American.” This acknowledgment complicates the racial divide, highlighting the ways in which Black and white lives intersect culturally, socially, and educationally. The speaker admits, “As I learn from you, / I guess you learn from me— / although you’re older—and white— / and somewhat more free,” suggesting that education and growth are reciprocal, not one-sided. The poem thus conveys a vision of America as an interdependent community, even amid racial inequality.

🔹 Defining the American Experience
Hughes uses the student’s reflections to capture the essence of what it means to be American. The geographical and cultural setting—“the hill above Harlem” and “the Harlem Branch Y”—ties the speaker’s identity to Harlem, a central site of Black culture and creativity. His musical preferences—“records—Bessie, bop, or Bach”—showcase the blending of African American traditions with global art, underscoring cultural hybridity as an American reality. By claiming, “That’s American”, the poem affirms that the U.S. is defined by diversity, contradiction, and shared struggles. Hughes suggests that the American experience cannot be separated from the Black experience, making the poem both personal testimony and national commentary.

Literary Theories and “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

🔹 Theory	Explanation	References from the Poem
🟦 New Criticism	Focuses on the text itself, analyzing structure, imagery, and language rather than author or context. The poem’s free-verse structure mirrors the search for identity, while the repetition of phrases like “That’s American” emphasizes unity through rhythm. The contrast between “Being me, it will not be white. / But it will be / a part of you” shows internal paradox resolved in textual unity.	“Go home and write a page tonight. / And let that page come out of you— / Then, it will be true”; “That’s American.”
🟥 Critical Race Theory (CRT)	Examines race, power, and identity. Hughes critiques the racial divide by highlighting the student’s marginalization: “I am the only colored student in my class.” The assertion that race shapes but does not limit humanity challenges white-dominant perspectives. CRT reveals how the poem situates identity within systemic inequality while asserting dignity.	“So will my page be colored that I write? / Being me, it will not be white.”; “although you’re older—and white— / and somewhat more free.”
🟩 Marxist Theory	Explores class, power, and social relations. The poem’s Harlem imagery—“the hill above Harlem”, “cross St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue, Seventh”—reflects spatial and economic segregation between white academia and Black community life. The speaker’s declaration of shared humanity critiques class and racial hierarchies embedded in American society.	“The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem”; “You are white— / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.”
🟨 Reader-Response Theory	Highlights how meaning is shaped by readers’ perspectives. Each reader interprets the “page” differently, mirroring the poem’s theme of subjective truth: “It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me / at twenty-two, my age.” Readers relate personally to the universality of likes (“I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love”), creating a dynamic interaction between text and audience.	“I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like / the same things other folks like who are other races.”; “It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me.”

Critical Questions about “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

❓ Question 1: How does “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes explore the relationship between identity and truth?

In Langston Hughes’s “Theme for English B”, the poem questions whether personal truth can be expressed simply by writing a page. The student narrator reflects on his racial identity, noting, “I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.” This personal fact is part of his truth, yet he also acknowledges shared humanity when he lists universal pleasures such as eating, sleeping, and loving. The poem suggests that truth is complex—shaped by race, age, environment, and experience—but also universal, because despite differences, humans share common feelings and desires. By weaving his individuality with collective human experience, Hughes shows that truth is both personal and interconnected.

⚖️ Question 2: How does “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes address racial inequality and interconnectedness?

In Langston Hughes’s “Theme for English B”, the student recognizes the racial divide between himself and his white instructor: “Being me, it will not be white. But it will be a part of you, instructor.” Here, Hughes confronts racial inequality while also affirming interdependence. The speaker admits that he and his instructor may not always want to be “a part” of each other, yet they inevitably are, because they share the American experience. This tension illustrates Hughes’s central idea—that America’s racial history cannot erase the deep connections between Black and white citizens. The poem critiques inequality while also proposing mutual learning and growth, showing both division and unity in American identity.

🌆 Question 3: What role does Harlem play in “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes?

In Langston Hughes’s “Theme for English B”, Harlem functions as both a setting and a symbol. The student describes his journey: “The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, / through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, / Eighth Avenue, Seventh…” This physical movement from the white academic space to the Black cultural center mirrors his dual identity. Harlem is personified—“Harlem, I hear you: hear you, hear me”—showing it as a living influence that shapes his truth. It represents not only the richness of Black culture (jazz, blues, community) but also the challenges of racial marginalization. Harlem, therefore, anchors the poem in a cultural space that affirms the speaker’s voice and authenticity.

🎭 Question 4: How does “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes highlight the theme of education and mutual learning?

In Langston Hughes’s “Theme for English B”, the relationship between the student and instructor reflects more than classroom dynamics—it symbolizes broader social learning. The speaker admits: “As I learn from you, / I guess you learn from me— / although you’re older—and white— / and somewhat more free.” This moment highlights the imbalance of privilege but also suggests reciprocal exchange. Education is not one-directional; the instructor learns from the student’s experiences just as the student learns from academic instruction. Hughes uses this dialogue to emphasize that true education requires listening across racial and social divides, showing that America’s progress depends on recognizing the contributions of marginalized voices.

Literary Works Similar to “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

📘 “I, Too” by Langston Hughes (1926)
Like “Theme for English B”, this poem affirms Black identity and inclusion in the American narrative, declaring “I, too, sing America” against racial exclusion.
📙 “Incident” by Countee Cullen (1925)
Both poems explore the impact of race on personal experience; while Hughes reflects on identity in education, Cullen highlights how a single racist incident in childhood shaped his life.

📕 “America” by Claude McKay (1921)
McKay, like Hughes, grapples with contradictions of belonging: America feeds him strength yet brings pain, similar to Hughes’s acknowledgment of both unity and racial difference.
📗 “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes (1921)
Both poems connect personal identity with collective Black experience; while “Theme for English B” situates the self in Harlem, this poem ties identity to the vast history of African heritage.
📔 “Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen (1925)
Cullen’s poem, like Hughes’s, blends personal reflection with broader questions of race and existence, pondering why a Black poet must wrestle with divine and social paradoxes.

Representative Quotations of “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

🔹 Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
📝 “Go home and write a page tonight. / And let that page come out of you— / Then, it will be true.”	The instructor’s assignment sets the premise of self-expression and authenticity.	Reader-Response Theory – highlights subjectivity of truth, showing how meaning emerges through individual experience.
✊ “I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. / I went to school there, then Durham, then here.”	The speaker situates his identity in age, race, and geography.	Critical Race Theory (CRT) – emphasizes how racial identity and location shape lived experience.
🏫 “I am the only colored student in my class.”	The speaker underscores his isolation in a predominantly white institution.	Postcolonial Theory – reflects marginalization and the struggle for recognition in dominant spaces.
🌆 “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 physical journey symbolizes the social distance between white academia and Black Harlem.	Marxist Theory – reveals spatial segregation and class/race divides in urban America.
🎶 “I like a pipe for a Christmas present, / or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.”	The speaker embraces diverse cultural tastes, blending Black and Western traditions.	Cultural Studies – shows hybridity and the intersection of cultures in shaping identity.
🤝 “I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like / the same things other folks like who are other races.”	The speaker stresses common humanity despite racial difference.	Humanist Perspective – affirms universality of human desires and experiences.
🗽 “So will my page be colored that I write? / Being me, it will not be white.”	The speaker acknowledges that his racial identity shapes his voice, but not exclusively.	CRT / Identity Politics – highlights how identity influences expression while resisting reductionism.
🇺🇸 “You are white— / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. / That’s American.”	The poem recognizes interconnectedness between races in the American identity.	New Historicism – situates the poem in the cultural history of American racial dynamics.
📚 “As I learn from you, / I guess you learn from me— / although you’re older—and white— / and somewhat more free.”	The poem critiques racial hierarchy within education while affirming reciprocity.	Critical Pedagogy – challenges one-sided learning models, advocating mutual knowledge exchange.
🖋️ “This is my page for English B.”	The closing line frames the poem as both assignment and personal manifesto.	New Criticism – emphasizes structural closure, where the form (a page) mirrors the theme of self-expression.