I, Too

“I, Too” consists of one extended metaphor. The metaphor centers around the domestic image of a dinner table: The people who eat at it and those who are excluded. The only indication Hughes gives that this poem is about race is when he identifies himself as the “darker brother” (Line 2). The rest of the poem builds on the imagery of the dinner table and the treatment Hughes receives there.

The dinner table image functions as a metaphor for American society and the treatment of its citizens. The dinner table and the coming together of people around it are traditional American images. The Thanksgiving holiday celebrates the sharing of a meal between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. The Fourth of July and other major holidays in America typically feature the gathering of people and sharing of food. By describing himself as someone whom white people have denied a seat, Hughes illustrates the mistreatment of African Americans. He asserts that he is someone who not only belongs at the table, but someone who will thrive there. His exclusion is the loss of those who deny him, and he will not suffer because of it.