Theme for English B Themes
Identity
Man, "Theme for English B" sure talks a lot: about race, about America, about truth, and lots of big questions. Still, at its heart, it's about a 22-year-old man who is trying to find out exactly w...
Race
In "Theme for English B," wrapped up in the speaker's search for his identity is the idea of his race. He's black, born in the South, but now lives in Harlem—the center of black culture in New Yo...
Visions of America
Even before we get on down to line 33 in "Theme for English B," where America is specifically mentioned, we know that this is a poem that deals with what it means to be American. Our speaker lives...
Truth
At the very beginning of "Theme for English B," we hear that our speaker's assignment is supposed to result in some sort of truth. Writing a page from his heart will result in a page that, his inst...