CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS ON LANGSTON HUGHES’ POEMS: “I,

TOO” AND “LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN”

Didimus Estanto Turuk/186332017 and Hadrian Kusuma Asmara/18663019
Sanata Dharma University

I. Introduction

“I, Too Sing America” and “Let America be America Again” are poems which
written by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes or James Mercer Langston Hughes who
was born February 1, 1902, was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright,
and clumnist from Joplin, Missouri. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-
new literary art form called jazz poetry. Hughes is particularly known for his insightfulm
colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties. “I, Too
Sing America” was published by The Weary Blues in 1926. This poem helped define the
Harlem Reinassance, a period in the early 1920s of newfound cultural identity for blacks
in America.
The poem “I, Too Sing America” is a symbolic poem. The word “I’ does not merely
refers to the poet by symbolizes the whole Black Race of African-Americans who have
been considered as second class citizens though they equally love and respect their
country, America. “I, Too” is a response to Walt Whitman’s 1860 poem, “I Hear
America Singing.” Whitman’s poem celebrates American patriotism. Hughes’s response
is a reminder that black Americans also form part of this culture. In the beginning of the
poem, the narrator embraces his right to sing America, the same as all other people who
sing to celebrate America. Ironically, his identity as an American grows stronger each
time he is cast out of American society. Each time he is excluded, the process reinforces
his identity as an American, until he is finally strong enough to demand that he be
recognized as an American. By the last line of the poem, the narrator no longer sings of
America's greatness; he is America's greatness. He is ready to claim the identity that has
been too-long denied him. He is an American.
While, “Let America Be America Again” was originally published by Esquire
Magazine in 1936. The poem speaks of the American dream that never existed for the
lower-class American and the freedom and equality that every immigrant hoped for but
never achieved. In this poem, Hughes declares that America should be America again,
which means it shoud be the dream it once was for the pioneer on the plain who sought a
home where he could be free. The speaker wants his land to embody liberty - not just by
wearing a false patriotic wreath on its head, but through pervasive opportunity and
equality. The speaker claims that he has never experienced freedom or equality in
America. Besides criticizing the unfair life in America, the poem conveys a sense of
hope that the American Dream is soon to come.
Hughes's poem "I, Too" explores the duality of identity that defined black life in the
United States in the 1920s. Black Americans claimed citizenship in a country that denied
black citizens the same rights that were provided to white citizens. The poet claims that
he is an American and entitled to the same privileges as all other Americans, including
the right to eat with Americans of any racial or ethnic background. "I, Too" shows the
poet trying to establish his identity through the progress of the poem. The other poem,
“Let America Be America Again” shows that America is supposed to be the land of
freedom and opportunity, but Hughes and many others have not experienced this
“America”. Hughes also shows the optimism throughout the poem that the people of
America will rise up against injustice and make America into what it once was.
 On arranging the analysis of the poem, the researchers are employing the linguistic
theory of appraisal theory and the social theories about power by Michel Foucault and
Bourdieu’s concept of capital and power, and Marx’s concept of class struggle. Each
theory presents the significant part of the analysis. The appraisal theory gives the
linguistic prove of the type of sentence used by the author to depict his idea. The
identification of the judgmental, appreciation and affected process help the researcher
draw the conclusion on the intention and the attitude the author wants to depict,
consciously and unconsciously. The theory of Foucault and Bourdieu direct the
researchers to analyze the relation of power, the capital, and the gap between white
people and not white people.
These paper aims to analyze the tone of the poem through linguistic aspect which is
the appraisal theory and the social analysis through Foucault and Bourdieu theory. The
logical explanation toward depiction of the poem is presented by the assistance of the
analysis of the linguistic aspects and social aspect. Then, it enable the researchers to
draw the final conclusion. There will be two types of conclusion that will be presented,
which are the linguistic and the social conclusions. It is related to the two theories
applied and two way of proving the tone the author want to articulate.

II. Methodology
a. Data Collection
This paper conduceted a data population method which means the similarity in
characteristics between one group of statistics (Best, 2006, p.13). In this study, the
population was the whole data in two poems of Langston Hughes, “I, Too” and “Let
America Be America Again”. Moreover, the paper aimed to analyze the tone of the
poem through linguistic aspect and the social analysis. There were several steps of
collecting the data.
The writers came to a decision to analyze “I, Too” and “Let America Be America
Again” poems. The first consideration to analyze these two poems were because these
two poems were written by the same author, which is Langston Hughes. The second
consideration was because both of these two poems had the same theme, which is about
the struggle to get the national identity. The feeling of the minor as an American who
was eliminated and desires the minor, their struggle and their hopes to make America to
be 'America' again.
The writers open Google Chrome to search for the poems that would be analyzed.
The ressearchers came to a decision to search the data in Poetry Foundation website.
Thus, all the data were taken from the website of Poetry Foundation which was
https://poetryfoundation.org/poems/.
b. Data Analysis
There were several steps which were used to draw a conclusion of the tone of the
poem, which the researchers analyzed them through linguistic aspect and social
analysis. In order to draw the conclusion of the tone of the poem, the writers drew
tables to cluster the appraisal theory or the attitude that is used in each line of those two
poems. They were clustered into judgmental, affected, or appreciation attitude. Then,
all the attitudes that had been found and grouped are recalculated and recapitulated in a
table. It could be seen as follows:
The next, the writers wrote the description of the attitudes that had been found in
two poems. In this part, the writers described how the attitude found in the two poems.
Then, the writers analyzed how many judgmental, affected, and appreciation have been
 found in each poem. After described the description of the attitudes that have been
found, the writers interpreted the amount of data found in the description. The writers
analyzed what the author of the pome wanted to convey and also the theme of the poem
through linguistic side, which is the data of the attitude that is sought through appraisal
theory.
Furthermore, the writers observed the social analysis of the two poems. In this part,
the writers divided the analysis into two parts. The first part was used the social theory
of Foucoult’s concept of power that discussed the power gap between white or native
people and the minor. The second part was used the social theory of Marxism that
discussed the concept of class struggle.
The last step was the writers concluded the analysis found in this paper. Therefore,
from the analysis of the linguistic aspect and social analysis, it directed to see the
function of critical discourse analysis in drawing the meaning of Langston Hughes’
poems entitled “I, Too Sing America” and “Let America Be America Again”.

III. Discussion
a. Table of Analysis
“I, TOO, SING AMERICA” POEM
No Attitude First Second
Capability 4 1
1 Judgmental
Tenacity 1 2
Impact + 2 -
2 Appreciation
Quality + 1 -
Disatisfication 3 1
3 Affected
Inclination - 1
Frequency 11 5
Percentage (%) 68,75 31,25

“LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN” POEM

No Attitude First Second
Capability 7 6
1 Judgmental Normative 1 11
Tenacity 2 -
Value + 1 -
+ 5 -
Impact
2 Appreciation - 16 -
+ 8 2
Quality
- 4 3
Insecurity 3 -
Happy 1 -
3 Affected Unhappy 23 -
Satisfaction - 1
Disatisfaction 9 -
Frequency 80 23
Percentage (%) 77,67 22,33
b. Racism
Langston Hughes’, entitled “I, Too Sing America” in this discussion, raised the
theme of the racism. There are two figures that can be identified from Langston Hughes’
poem above. The first is a figure that is considered a pronoun "they" for the second
person and pronoun "I" for the first person. The expression shown is the expression
carried out by the second person who refers to "they" to the first person indicated by "I".
The depiction of expression is first person portrayed of the expression experience that he
or she feels may be a gap from the second person.
The first poem, "I, Too", shows the racism through the mental pressure given to
them or black people in America can already be seen from the title of the poem itself.
The "Too" phrase indicates that they are actually not exotic or considered as America.
America here is only referring to white people. The mental obedience in this poem is
used to make black people not considered. This represents the possession of power that
the black people have is less than the white people. It is clearly depicted on the poem that
the white people possess the power more than the black people. It is proven by how
black people have to say "I, Too" to get rid of it first so that they are also considered as
citizens of America. In addition, on line 3 of the poem shows that white people oppress
black people and make them slaves with the line 3 saying "They send me to eat in the
kitchen". From these two things, it can be seen that the poem "I, Too, Sing America"
shows that there is discrimination of race which is the effect of seperation.
To reveal the racism theme, the second social theory the writer use to analyze the
poem is Marxism. By using this theory, the focus of the writers will be on the class
discrimination experienced by the character “I” that exist on “I, Too”. This poem is
written by Huges which is an Afro-American writer, that concern about the race
discrimination and exploitation in America.
“I, Too, sing America” is the opening line of the poem “I, Too”. The poem is also
clearly indicating the class discrimination between the black and white people showing
in the poem that the black people are ordered to eat in the kitchen when the company
comes. The emphasis “too” is a key point to see the marginalization experienced by the
character I, the lower class people. It is driven the lower class people to the position that
is silenced and ignored from the common (acceptable) American people. The character
“I” need to highlight that s/he does involves on making America great (singing America).
It seem like the regular concept of the one who deserves singing America is only the
native people which is white, that is why the character is highlighting that s/he is a part
of true America by revealing the same attitude like the white person do, even though the
attitude of white people sing America is not mentioned in the poem. Tracing the
phenomena using Marxism, it turns out that the character “I” is ignored and silenced due
to his/her skin tone which is black. The black people are considered as the lower class
people, so that their existence can be ignored and will not be significant to be mentioned.
This type of discrimination which restrains someone to do something or considered
unworthy to do such a job can be classified as class discrimination. White people are
employing ideological state apparatus, the Marxist concept by Althusser. The white
people try to maintain their political status quo as the only one who deserves to sing
America. However, the character “I” realizes it and decides to stand against that regular
(white) concept. Maintaining the political status quo by having the social stereotypes and
cultural ideology is what is Althusser characterized as Ideological State Apparatus
(Barry, 2009: 158).
It is supported and explained also through the attitude of the character in the poem
which is analyzed by appraisal theory. The commonness and difference are shown by the
element indicated on the table under the three major clusters of appraisal analysis which
are the judgmental, appreciation and affected. It can be seen through the table that The
first table is a result of appraisal analysis on the poem “I, Too Sing America” by
Langston Hughes. The total data of this 18 lines poem is 16. The data are clustered into
three major bases on appraisal analysis, which are Judgmental 8 times, appreciation 3
times and affected 4 times. Then the analysis is specified into the first and second person
involvement on the action on the sentences/line on the poem. The analysis on the first
person involvement shows that there is 5 times judgmental analysis appeared with 4
capacity, 1 tenancy and there is no judgmental normality. For the appreciation, there 3
times the first person involves which are divided into two times impact positive, one time
quality positive and there is no appreciation value on the first person analysis. The first
person has two times affected satisfaction negative or dissatisfaction. The total data for
the rule of the first person is 11 times or 68,75% of the whole data. The second person
has less data rather that the first person. The total data of the second person is 5 or
31,25% of the whole data of the poem. The data are only distributed on the class of
judgmental and affected. The second person judgmental is found 3 times in the poems,
which are clustered into one capability and two tenancy. The second person affected is
found 2 times which are clustered into one inclination and one satisfaction negative or
dissatisfaction. There is no class of appreciation rules by the second person in the poem.
Those percentages of the appraisal analysis above depicts the appraisal analysis
influences the meaning construction of the poem. This is the linguistics’ drawing
meaning by the appraisal theory. The appraisal analysis on the poem “I, Too” presents
the nuance of struggle of the black people who has been ignored to be a part of America/
States. Even thought the states/ (people who feel like a true America) treats the “I”
character, which are the representation of the black America/ Afro-American people, the
character is still struggling to prove that the character is still America, the character is a
part of the common American people, the character is emphasizing his identity as
American that is being ignored and being treated unfairly. This statement is proven by
the appearance of the first person judgmental capability as the highest data in the
appraisal table. Judgmental itself move into the region of meaning construing our
attitudes to people and the way they behave – their character (how they measure up)
(Martin & White, 2005:52).The first person judgmental capability shows the struggle of
the character “I” to be an America. This judgmental capability class even is located in the
first line of the poem, which will signify the priority that the poem wants to highlight.
Nevertheless, there are three times found the first person affected dissatisfaction, the
character “I” can still manage to appreciate the identity if being America by the
appearance of the first person appreciation impact positive 2 times and quality positive
one time. The final line of the poem also presents the same meaning, to reveal the pride
and involvement of character “I” by being considered of as an American people. This
statement is proven by the appearance of the first person judgmental normality in the last
line of the poem.

c. Disappointment
The tone of disappointment is significant in the second poem. The second poem is
written also by Langston Hughes, entitled “Let America Be America Again”. In this
poem, the oppresion and discrimination of black people or minor people also occured.
However, both of those tone can be revealed through how the disappointment feeling of
the first person about what he or she was got as an American. The oppression and
discrimination can be seen in the explanation below.
 The second poem, "Let America Be America Again", the power domination of white
people is also clearly visible. The mental expression that was given to black people was
expressed in Langston Hughes's poem this one. The disappointment that they felt as a
person who was marginalized because they did not feel that they had America was
actually a mental expression that was highly dominated in this poem. From the sentences
of these poems which indirectly state that they are people who are considered lower-
class, as in line 19 until 24, and line 31 until line 38, it is very clear that white people
mentally oppress them. The white people possess the power more than the black people.
The order of the construction also depicts the white people in the initial position showing
the people of capital over the black people. In Foucault's theory it is also said that the
aims at shaping powers are disciplined individuals to become productive labors
(Foucault, 1980: 109), this concept is also stated in this poem where marginalized people
are considered white people as labors even though people are marginalized this assumes
they are working together to build America. However, white people consider them only
slaves and workers where the overpower of white people makes these marginalized
people become productive labors. If they are no longer productive they will be discarded.
This will be further enriched in social theory, as used by the writers, which is further
about Marxism.
To reveal the disappointment theme, the second social theory the writer use to
analyze the poem is Marxism. By using this theory, the focus of the writers will be on the
class discrimination experienced by the character “I” that exist on “Let America Be
America Again”. This poem is written by Huges which is an Afro-American writer, that
concern about the race discrimination and exploitation in America through the first
person feeling.
The second poem reveals the Marxism analysis on the concept of reification.
Reification is the situation when human is considered as a thing to enlarge the profit or
achieving the goal effectively. Once the human/thing does not work on its maximal
performance, it will be replaced by the new one, or even being replaced if there is
another thing which is cheaper and more effective (Barry, 2009:151). On the poem, the
prosperity and the freedom of America are two things that become the primer concern of
the character. The character “I” announces the disappointment of the non-white people
that do not accept the same right that they share with the white people. It is shown in the
poem that both two concerns of the poem are enjoyed by only white America, even
though the non-white America people have contribution to build America to be a land of
freedom. On the line 64-74, the character reveals the contribution of the non-white
people that also have the ante to build America as it is now. Reification here is when the
non-white people are only considered as a thing/working class that needs to be work for
the goof of white people. Once the America has become a great, prosperous and free
country, their contributions are forgotten. It is stated on the poem that the prosperity and
freedom of America is due to the cooperative work of many elements of social class and
races, and by the time the goal is achieved it is an unfair fact that only the white people
who can benefit the result while the rest of the class does not.
The feeling of disappointment of the first person in this poem also can be seen
through the llinguistic part. Linguistic analysis in this poem will be done by appraisal
theory that observed the attitude of the character of the poem. The appraisal theory in this
poem find that the data of the second poem of Langston Hughes, “Let America Be
America Again,” are far different in terms of number in comparison with the first poem.
The total line of this second poem is 86 lines, but the total data is 103 since in some part
of the poem, there is more than one appraisal analysis employed. The analysis is divided
into the first person appraisal analysis and the second person’s one. The first person
 judgmental appraisal analysis is found 10 times which are clustered into 7 times capacity,
one time normality and two times tenancy. For the first person appreciation, there are 34
times found in the poem, which are clustered into one tome value positive, 5 times
impact positive, 16 times impact negative, 8 times impact positive and 4 times impact
negative. First person affected are found 36 times in the poem, which are clustered into 3
times security negative or insecurity, one time happy positive, 23 times happy negative
or unhappy, and 9 times satisfaction negative or dissatisfaction. The total data for the
first person’s rule on the poem is 80 or 77,66% of the whole data. The second person rule
in the analysis is less than the first person’s one. The total data of the second person’s
rule on the poem is 23 or 22,33% of the whole data. The data are distributed into 17 time
second person judgmental, 5 times second person appreciation and one time second
person affected. Second person judgmental are clustered into 6 times capability and 11
times normality; second person appreciation is found only on quality, both positive
quality 2 times and negative 3 times; and second person affected are found one time
which is satisfaction positive.
It means that the appraisal analysis on the second poem, “Let America Be America
Again,” by Huges, also shows the significant rule by the first person. However, while the
first poem presents the data that the highest data is the judgmental capability, the second
poem present the first person affected negative happiness or unhappiness as the most
significant data which appears 23 times. The second highest data is the first person
appreciation impact negative (16 times) and the first person affected satisfaction negative
or dissatisfaction also appears 9 times. As it is explained in the introduction, the second
poem reveals the minor voice of the character “I,” which represents the black people that
is being marginalized, reveals the disappointment of the pride of America which they
expect to be a land of freedom but turns out there are a lot of discrimination the character
faces, and announce the dissolution of the hope they build toward the land of freedom,
America. Affect itself is concerned with registering positive and negative feelings
(Martin & White, 2005:42). There is second person judgmental class appears in the
poem, which are 6 times capability and 11 times normality. The judgmental capacity
which appears in the poem even is a subordinate clause from the main clause of first
person affected negative happiness or first person appreciation negative impact. The
data shows that the capacity of the second person which tends to exploit the first person
is elaborated in some lines to indicate the discrimination experiencing by the first person.
Then, the second person judgmental normality in the poem, most of them is showing the
hope of the first person. It indicates the expectation of the first person about the America
that the character dream of, which is presented trough the representation second person
attitude. Both the analysis of the first and second person draw a picture that the poem is
highlighting the disappointment of the black people to the discrimination the character
“I” faces and the dissolution of the hope toward the land of freedom, America.

IV. Conclusion
Critical discourse analysis on the “I, Too” and “Let America Be America Again”
results some statement which are divided into linguistic aspect and the social one. The
analysis on the linguistic aspect is done using the appraisal theory on the analysis of
attitude of the first and second person. The analysis shows that in the first poem, the
ration of the first and second person rule is 68,75% - 31,25%. On the second poem the
ration is the first person rule is 77,66% and the second person is 22,33%. Both data
indicated the first person plays a dominant rule in the poem. Data also demonstrates that
the first poem shows capability f the first person striving his/her identity as an American
 people while the second poem shows the dissatisfaction of the character “I” which
his/her right as the real America is not served appropriately by the country.
The observation of the commonness and difference of the two poems by Huges are
also significant. The commonness of the data that they share is that both of the poems
show the dominance of the first person rule on the poem more than the second person.
The data shows that in the first poem the percentage of the first person rule is 68,75%
and in the second poem is 77,66%. This percentage proves the dominance of the first
person in both these poem. The difference between first and second poem are indicated
by the void seeing on the first poem and the distribution of the analysis of the second
poem. On the first poem there are judgmental normative, appreciation value and affected
happy are not filled by nor the first or second person. On the second poem, there are no
class of appraisal theory (judgmental, appreciation and affected) that is not filled.
Social theories contribute the social view of the poem. The employing of theory of
Power and Marxist allows the writers to reveal the social phenomena appearing on the
poem that the poem contains the power and class discrimination.
To sum up the paper, the writers discover that the tones of these two poems are
struggle and hope. Both poems are telling that the discrimination should be revealed and
fought. Besides the discrimination of all the marginalized people, there is still hope to
make them keep persuading their dream and keep struggling.
V. References
Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory.
Manchester: Manchester University Press. 2009.
Constantakis, Sara. Poetry for Students Volume 30. Detroit: Cengage Learning. 2009.
Foucault, M. Power and Knowledge, (ed.) C.Gordon, Brighton: The Harvester Press.
1980.
Haryatmoko, Dr. Critical Discourse Analysis (Analisis Wacana Kritis): Landasan Teori,
Metodologi dan Penerapan. Jakarta: Rajawali Pers. 2016.
Martin, J.R., and P.R.R. White. The Language of Evaluation: Appraisal in English. New
York: Palgrave Macmillian. 2005.
Poetry Foundation. I, Too. Retrieved on Friday, December 14, 2018 from
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47558/i-too. 1994.
Poetry Foundation. Let America Be America Again. Retrieved on Friday, December 14,
2018 from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147907/let-america-be-
america-again. 1995.
 APPENDICES
Appendix 1 :
Poetry Foundation. Let America Be America Again. Retrieved on Friday, December 14,
2018 from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147907/let-america-be-
america-again. 1995.

Let America Be America Again

By Langston Hughes

Let America be America again.

Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—

Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty

Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,

Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?

And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,

I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek—
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,

Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.

I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean—
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream

In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home—
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?

Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay—
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

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's, Negro's, ME—
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose—

The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,

The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain—
All, all the stretch of these great green states—
And make America again!
Appendix 2:
Poetry Foundation. I, Too. Retrieved on Friday, December 14, 2018 from
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47558/i-too. 1994.

I, Too
By Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—

I, too, am America.
Appendix 3:
“I, TOO, SING AMERICA” POEM
A. THE FIRST PERSON
1. I, too, sing America. (1) Jd/Cap
2. But I laugh, (5) Jd/Cap
3. And eat well, (6) Jd/Cap
4. And grow strong. (7) Jd/Cap
5. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, (3,4) Af/Dis
6. But I laugh, (5) Af/Dis
7. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen” Then (11,12,13,14) Af/Dis
8. I am the darker brother. (2) Ap/Imp
9. I, too, am America. (18) Ap/Imp
10. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am (15,16) Ap/Qua
11. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. (8,9,10) Jd/Ten

B. THE SECOND PERSON

1. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen” Then (11,12,13,14) Jd/Ten
2. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am (15,16) Jd/Ten
3. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes (3,4) Jd/Cap
4. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen” Then (11,12,13,14) Af/In/Fe
5. And be ashamed (17) Af/Dis

“LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN” POEM

A. THE FIRST PERSON
1. I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, (19) Af/Unh
2. I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars. (20) Af/Unh
3. I am the red man driven from the land, (21) Af/Unh
4. I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek— (22) Af/Unh
5. And finding only the same old stupid plan (23) Af/Unh
6. Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak. (24) Af/Unh
7. Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab Af/Unh
the land! (26,27)
8. Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need! (28) Af/Unh
9. Of work the men! Of take the pay! (29) Af/Unh
10. Of owning everything for one’s own greed! (30) Af/Unh
11. I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil. (31) Af/Unh
12. I am the worker sold to the machine. (32) Af/Unh
13. I am the Negro, servant to you all. (33) Af/Unh
14. I am the people, humble, hungry, mean— (34) Af/Unh
15. Hungry yet today despite the dream. (35) Af/Unh
16. Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers! (36) Af/Unh
17. The poorest worker bartered through the years. (38) Af/Unh
18. Surely not me? The millions on relief today? (53) Af/Unh
19. The millions shot down when we strike? (54) Af/Unh
20. The millions who have nothing for our pay? (55) Af/Unh
21. Except the dream that’s almost dead today. (61) Af/Unh
22. Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death, (80) Af/Unh
23. The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies, (81) Af/Unh
24. (America never was America to me.) (5) Ap/Imp/-
25. (It never was America to me.) (10) Ap/Imp/-
26. (There’s never been equality for me, (15) Ap/Imp/-
27. Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”) (16) Ap/Imp/-
28. I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, (19) Ap/Imp/-
29. I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars. (20) Ap/Imp/-
30. I am the red man driven from the land, (21) Ap/Imp/-
31. I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek— (22) Ap/Imp/-
32. And finding only the same old stupid plan (23) Ap/Imp/-
33. Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak. (24) Ap/Imp/-
34. I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil. (31) Ap/Imp/-
35. I am the Negro, servant to you all. (33) Ap/Imp/-
36. I am the man who never got ahead, (37) Ap/Imp/-
37. Yet I’m the one who dreamt our basic dream (39) Ap/Imp/-
38. In the Old World while still a serf of kings, (40) Ap/Imp/-
39. The steel of freedom does not stain. (71) Ap/Imp/-
40. The land that never has been yet— (63) Ap/Qu/+
41. And yet must be—the land where every man is free. (64) Ap/Qu/+
42. The land that’s mine—the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME— (65) Ap/Qu/+
43. Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, (66) Ap/Qu/+
44. Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, (67) Ap/Qu/+
45. The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers. (83) Ap/Qu/+
46. The mountains and the endless plain— (84) Ap/Qu/+
47. All, all the stretch of these great green states— (85) Ap/Qu/+
48. Yet I’m the one who dreamt our basic dream (39) Af/Dis
49. In the Old World while still a serf of kings, (40) Af/Dis
50. The free? Who said the free? Not me? (51,52) Af/Dis
51. For all the dreams we’ve dreamed (56) Af/Dis
52. And all the songs we’ve sung (57) Af/Dis
53. And all the hopes we’ve held (58) Af/Dis
54. And all the flags we’ve hung, (59) Af/Dis
55. The millions who have nothing for our pay— (60) Af/Dis
56. America never was America to me, (77) Af/Dis
57. Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? (17) Jd/Cap
58. O, I’m the man who sailed those early seas (45) Jd/Cap
59. To build a “homeland of the free.” (50) Jd/Cap
60. Who made America, (66) Jd/Cap
61. Must bring back our mighty dream again. (69) Jd/Cap
62. We must take back our land again, America! (73,74) Jd/Cap
63. I say it plain, (75) Jd/Cap
64. Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, (12) Ap/Imp/+
65. But opportunity is real, and life is free, (13) Ap/Imp/+
66. Equality is in the air we breathe. (14) Ap/Imp/+
67. I am the young man, full of strength and hope, (25) Ap/Imp/+
68. O, I’m the man who sailed those early seas (45) Ap/Imp/+
69. In search of what I meant to be my home— (46) Ap/Qua/-
70. For I’m the one who left dark Ireland’s shore, (47) Ap/Qua/-
71. And Poland’s plain, and England’s grassy lea, (48) Ap/Qua/-
72. And torn from Black Africa’s strand I came (49) Ap/Qua/-
73. Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? (17) Af/Inse
74. And who are you that draws your veil across the stars? (18) Af/Inse
75. Sure, call me any ugly name you choose— (70) Af/Inse
76. We, the people, must redeem (82) Jd/Ten
77. And make America again! (86) Jd/Ten
78. O, let my land be a land where Liberty (11) Jd/Norm
79. I am the young man, full of strength and hope, I am the young man, Af/Hap
full of strength and hope, (25)
80. America will be! (66) Ap/Val/+

B. THE SECOND PERSON

1. Let America be America again. (1) Jd/Norm
2. Let it be the dream it used to be. (2) Jd/Norm
3. Let it be the pioneer on the plain (3) Jd/Norm
4. Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed— (6) Jd/Norm
5. Let it be that great strong land of love (7) Jd/Norm
6. For all the dreams we’ve dreamed (56) Jd/Norm
7. And all the songs we’ve sung (57) Jd/Norm
8. And all the hopes we’ve held (58) Jd/Norm
9. And all the flags we’ve hung, (59) Jd/Norm
10. The millions who have nothing for our pay— (60) Jd/Norm
11. O, let America be America again— (62) Jd/Norm
12. Seeking a home where he himself is free. (4) Jd/Cap
13. And who are you that draws your veil across the stars? (18) Jd/Cap
14. The poorest worker bartered through the years. (38) Jd/Cap
15. Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true, (41) Jd/Cap
16. Surely not me? The millions on relief today? (53) Jd/Cap
17. Sure, call me any ugly name you choose— (70) Jd/Cap
18. Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme (8) Ap/Qua/-
19. That any man be crushed by one above. (9) Ap/Qua/-
20. From those who live like leeches on the people’s lives, (72) Ap/Qua/-
21. That even yet its mighty daring sings (42) Ap/Qua/+
22. In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned (43) Ap/Qua/+
23. That’s made America the land it has become. (44) Af/Sat