USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Though this poem is specifically set in Harlem, which is part of New York City, it doesn’t stay in Harlem. Instead, the setting expands to include several places, reminding us that the issues confronted by this poem are ones that affect all of America, and perhaps, the world.

Detailed explanation-2: -“Theme for English B” is set in New York City, most likely during the 1950s. The speaker is a student at Columbia University in Manhattan; he lives in Harlem, a predominantly black neighborhood located near the university.

Detailed explanation-3: -The title, “Harlem, ” places the poem in this historically black and immigrant neighborhood in New York City, while the “dream” could be any dream that those in Harlem have had: a dream for a better life, for opportunity, for equality-most broadly, for access to the American Dream itself.

Detailed explanation-4: -’Theme for English B’ is one of Langston Hughes’ best-known poems. It delves into themes of identity and race through the depiction of a black man’s writing assignment.

Detailed explanation-5: -The “Y” that the speaker talks about is the Harlem YMCA.