Lessons in Voice
Helping students identify major themes within "The Speakers Voice" will help them develop a sense of comprehension for text analysis. Learning how to question and take notes should lead to more discussion and more questions. What does Langston mean when he suggest that America should be America again? He claims that the land called America has not reached it full potential as a free land but ask didn't my ancestor's sweat and blood make America? The answers provided below will only be used for model responses. Students will be encouraged to give their personal responses and provide textual evidence of what they think the voice is conveying.
For example: Excerpt from "Let America be America Again" by Langston Hughes:
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed
O, let America be America again
The land that never has been yet
And yet must be-the land where every man is free
The land that's mine-the poor man's Indian Negro, ME
Who made America
Whose sweat and blood, who's plow in the rain
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure call me an ugly name you choose
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the peoples lives.
We must take back our land again:
America! 28
Comprehension Questions:
- Who is the central speaker?
Some students may identify the speaker as Langston Hughes. Does the central speaker change its voice from stanza to stanza?
- Why does the speaker seem to expect to be called an ugly name? Who is he referring to? He is expecting whites to call him ugly names for being optimistic and some blacks may call him ugly names for expecting whites to embrace his optimism.
- Who is it that must take back the land again?
African Americans toiled and plowed the land in America but never received the 40 acres and the mule promised during reconstruction.
- What is meant by the steel of freedom? The line steel of freedom does not stain could refer to the chains of slavery that should not rob anyone of mental freedom.
- What kind of values does the poem wish you to value or criticize, and why?
It appears that the poem wants the reader to criticize America for failing in its promises of equality.
- If there is not a coherent message or theme?
The coherent message in the poem is that America has prevented Americans from feeling proud of their own country.
- How does the poem make you feel at the end? Happy? Sad? Upset? Proud
Depressed? Confused? Why?
The poem may inspire or motivate the reader to bring back those mighty dreams again through self-actualization.
- Have students select lines from this poem that suggest that someone is trying to achieve a goal or a dream and then have them analyze those lines using the poems title "Let America be America Again".
"Voice Slam 4 Justice" is also a poetry strategy or forum that students enjoy, providing students an opportunity to create their own poetry around a central theme or topic. The poetry can address topics ranging from family, politics, romance, gender, race, societal and cultural issues.
I mentioned that one of the objectives of this unit is to model for students how to organize words in writing that will show purpose in their voice and will help them deliver a message in a more powerful and productive manner. The self created poems are to serves as an example to students as they create their own poetry and share voices about what they have learned and experienced throughout this unit. These poems were created with the spirit of inner city dreams; innocence is snapped from our children by gun violence, drugs, and neglect. Growing up myself on the South Side of Chicago being aware of the social ills and witnessing some pretty disturbing actions, there was still a greater sense of community and programs available to help struggling families become more self-sufficient and dependent. This is where I derived my sense and desire to give back to the community. Watching a great deal of the youth programs vanish and poorer families without the access my family was provided are the inspiration for my poems. Like Steve Biko a former South African activist; I write what I like and feel and attempt to voice what I see as real.
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