Paper must be at least 800 words and no more than 1000 words, typed, and should follow these formatting rules: Times New Roman 12-point font, the page number in the upper right-hand header, 1-inch margins all around, and double spacing.

engage in-depth with the language of the poem underdiscussion and clearly articulate the ways the poem upholds or confronts theideals of American society.

Your first step in this essay will be to briefly establishwhat “America” means. What are the ideals associated with America? When youhear the word “America,” what imagery is immediately conjured up? How mightthat contrast with the way those from other countries or other historicalmoments might perceive of America? You will need to discuss this in at leastone body paragraph in order to establish a baseline definition of America andthe stereotypes and ideals associated with it. Be sure to maintain academictone and employ a critical eye; naturally, your own thoughts and prejudiceswill inform your analysis, but think beyond yourself here to attempt tounderstand what America has represented in the past and represents now for manygroups of people.

Next, you will turn your attention to the poem “I,Too” by LangstonHughes to analyze, being sure to articulate what the poem is saying and how thepoet is commenting on America, its ideals, and the pressure put on its citizensto live up to or embody those ideals. In your analysis you may wish to engagewith how the author articulates his vision of America and explain his appraisalof his homeland.

In the final body section of your paper, you will need toanswer the following question: has America now moved beyond the prejudicesand/or complaints articulated by the work? You will need to employ criticalthinking and maintain academic tone here while also drawing on your ownperceptions and experiences, and you should consider how the author drew yourattention to ideas of which you were not previously aware. N.B. It may beuseful to review the date of publication for the poem when you come to evaluatethis issue

In order to fully analyze the texts, you should quote fromthe text where appropriate (properly citing those quotations within youressay). You should also have a brief introduction(no more than 120-150 words) with a thesis as well as a conclusion.