English and Communication Skills

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. POEM SUMMARY Stanza 1 The first stanza of "I, Too" consists of only one line, in which the speaker asserts that he is also celebrating being an American. The title, with its use of the word  too  suggests that the speaker is replying to another literary work. The emphasis in the line is on this word, since that is the most important word in this four-word line. In fact, "I, Too" is a response to Walt Whitman's 1860 poem, "I Hear America Singing." Whitman's poem celebrates American patriotism. The poet lists a number of different professions, including a carpenter and a mason,...

Success is counted sweetest By those who ne’er succeed. To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need. Not one of all the purple Host Who took the Flag today Can tell the definition So clear of Victory As he defeated–dying– On whose forbidden ear The distant strains of triumph Burst agonized and clear! 1   Success is counted sweetest   By those who ne'er suc c eed.   To comprehend a  nectar   Requires  s ore s t need. Comments, Stanza 1 This stanza establishes the theme: that the person who best understands the meaning of success is the person who fails. This quatrain can stand alone as a completed observation.  nectar : In Greek mythology, nectar was the drink of the gods, conferring on them immortality. In common usage, a nectar is any delectable drink or, figuratively, any uplifting experience.  2   Not one of all the  purple  Host   Who took the Flag today   Can tell the definition    So cl...

Analysis Lines 1-2 The world is too much with us: late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers The speaker begins the poem with the term “the world” and the reader quickly begins to understand what that term means in this context. He is talking about the worldly cares and concerns such as money, possessions, and power. And he concludes that it is “too much with us” meaning that we care far too much about these worldly things. He gives more depth of thought to this idea when he suggests that by using our time, minds, and energy in “getting and spending” that we “lay waste our powers”. In other words, people have powers beyond that which they have tapped into, because they are so busy getting and spending. They are tied up in their greed for more money and their time is accounted for by their actions of getting money, spending money, and caring for their possessions. He believes that money and worldly possessions are far more important to people than they should...