Habersham 1

Raisa Habersham
ENGL 2340
Professor Quick
October 14, 2010

Robert O'Brien Hokanson's “Jazzing it up: The be-bop modernism of Langston Hughes” asserts
that Hughes works challenge the Euro-American modernists by invoking blues, jazz, and bebop
elements into his poetry. The author suggest that Hughes uses the musical elements to place emphasis
on African-American voices. One particular aspect of Hughes poems the authors touched on was the
notion that be-bop is revolt music. Hokanson states that Hughes used bebop to foster change in the
modernist movement – hence the Harlem Renaissance.
When I initially read “Theme For English B,” I didn't consider jazz elements infused within the
work. It read simply as a student being indifferent about a writing assignment. The poem comes off as
if the assignment is pointless, ending with “and this is my theme for english b.” The rather abrupt
ending implies the writer has something better to do such as working, reading, learning or
understanding life – as he puts it. The poem presents itself as a response to the instructor; The tone of
the poem speaks : “how could you tell me to do a free write and tell me it will be true when I myself
am not fully free.” Hughes makes a mockery of the instructor's assignment. In the poem, the
instructor’s tone is italicized and broken apart from the rest of the writer's words. Here is where the
idea of revolt appears. The instructor is given a voice, but it disrupts the poem in the process.
Furthermore it is the only part that rhymes. According to Hokanson, bebop is an interruption and is
considered to be a more upbeat point in Hughes' poems. In addition to the musical elements, Hokanson
suggests that Hughes use of African-American vernacular enhances his work. In turn, such vernacular
enhances a reader's understanding of the poem. Though, in contrast to Hokanson's statements about the
African American vernacular, “Theme for English B” doesn’t employ that particular technique. It’s
almost as Hughes employs proper construction to get the instructor to relate to him. Whereas the
instructor is trying to relate to Hughes with her rhythmic use of words. Hughes resists the idea of a free
write that “will be true” because it comes from him. Here in lies the subject of identity: Is the instructor
giving the students an assignment to discover what's within themselves or for the purposes of writing?
In addressing identity, Hughes makes note of the differences between him and the instructor
while sandwiching American ideals in between. For instance, Hughes states he is “colored” and “the
only colored student in my class,” placing emphasis on his African-American heritage. However, it is at
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the end of the poem that Hughes chooses to address the instructor's identity calling he or she “older –
and white.” The organization of the differences shows that Hughes and the instructor are at two
different ends of the spectrum. Hughes unites himself and the instructor in between the two differences:
“Well I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love...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.” (lines 26). Hughes
wants the instructor to know they do the same things regardless of color. Despite the differences,
Hughes acknowledges that the two (him and the instructor) are one in the same and help to make up
America – differences and all. Hokanson argues it is this proclamation that makes Hughes poems
communal.
While I don't disagree with that notion, particularly in “Democracy” and “I,Too,” I must say
that idea isn't central to “Theme for English B.” The poem comes from a university student's
perspective who is trying to grasp why his teacher would give him an assignment that lacks depth. As
far as Hokanson's idea of a “search of the black subject for a textual voice,” there are pieces of the
poem that don’t seem to represent the voice of a student in general. Granted, the poem has a distinct
voice – an angry student who is writing on a subject that he is seemingly unsure of – I am not sure if
the poem offers a voice that speaks to the entire African American community. However it does offer a
proclamation: “I like the same things as you do, which too makes me apart of America.” I don’t believe
that he is engaging in a conversation with the African American culture since he refers to his white
professor. Nonetheless the work presents itself as a particular aspect of African-American culture – the
voice is just representative of a student.
After reading Bloom and Patterson's article, I don't see how “Theme for English B” applies to
their thesis. The instructor's bebop interruption is prominent, but the rest of the poem seems to be
conversational. The two authors note in their article that jazz has a conversational tone, which is where
“Theme for English B” fits in. The poem uses a “call-and-response” method to acknowledge the
professor and follows with the speakers thoughts towards her statements.

Questions
How does “Theme for English B” offer itself as a communal work? And is the poem more of a
response to the instructor or the general thought of all African-Americans?
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Works Cited

1. O'Brien Hokanson, Robert. “Jazzing it up: The be-bop modernism of Langston Hughes.”
Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature. 31:4 (1998): 61-82.
Literature Online.Web. 13 October 2010.

2. Hughes, Langston. “Theme for English B.” ENGL 2340, Quick. Fall 2010. Paul Quick
Athens, Ga. Bel Jean Copy and Print Center, 2010. 272-273. Print.