The great poem I, Too, Sing America by Langston Hughes was read to me as a part of Owego Free Academy's English 12 curriculum. In studying this poem my English 12 teacher, Mr. Evans, had our class write our own I, too, sing America poem about a time in which we felt disenfranchised from society, as how Langston Hughes felt during the writing of his poem.
I thought this was a great idea as I could write whatever I felt disconnected me from society, and anyone who is a teenager knows that we always feel in some way disconnected from this society that we are trying to find our identity in. I wrote the following poem in response:
I, too, sing America
I am just a young adult, so they say.
Outcasted by the people "wiser" than I.
Everything I say is looked at with a critical eye. Stereotyped in my prime, forgotten in the days beyond.
We are the future, not just mindless adolescents. If I am not given the respect, I will take it. I will show you one milestone at a time. No matter what you say I can't be stopped. My confidence is like steel, unbreakable.
I am determined to win the battle and show you all that . . .
. . . I, too, sing America.
I wrote this poem for all the adults that will not give young people the opportunities some of us have earned. Nothing makes me feel more disenfranchised from society than when an adult tells me that just because I am younger that I cannot handle responsibility. I use this monthly column to make my voice heard, to speak out, and connect with an audience. I encourage all of you teenagers to do something like me, not just with writing - but anything that makes your voice heard; show the older, "wiser," adults that we should be respected and if we are not we will take that respect no matter what they say or do to stop us.
This is something I did for a 12th grade English assignment. Looking back on it now, it is amazing how much I've changed and how angry I sounded at this time. It's funny how people changed with age and maturity.
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Young people are misunderstood by the older generation.
A young person needs to be allowed to grow without being placed into a box that limits their growth.
Learning takes place through making choices. When my son or daughter made a mistake in judgment, I'd ask, "What did you learn from this?"
A parent can tell a child what to do and not do. What happens when the child grows up? They make choices that have detrimental consequences.
I found it easier to allow them to make a mistake and come to me for advice and counseling.
When bad choices become a lifestyle, that is when learning has ended.
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