18 pages • 36 minutes read
Langston HughesI look at the world
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2008A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Link Between Racism and Freedom
The word “racism” never appears in “I look at the world.” Yet racism, and the immobility that it creates, are the primary themes of Hughes’s poem. The first stanza shows the link between racism and autonomy when the speaker observes “This fenced-off narrow space / Assigned to me” (Lines 4-5). Being Black has led to a lack of freedom. The United States of America—its racist laws, history, culture, and societal norms—has given or “[a]ssigned” them little to no freedom.
In Stanza 2, the speaker continues exploring the themes of racism and freedom. The speaker sees “the silly walls / Through dark eyes in a dark face” (Lines 6-7). “The silly walls” circle back to the speaker’s truncated freedom. The walls are obstructions. They limit the movement of Black people. The speaker declares that the racist, oppressive constructs “Will have to go!” (Line 10) so that Black people can have the freedoms they’re entitled to as human beings.
The poem shifts in the final stanza. The speaker, with “eyes no longer blind” (Line 12) realizes they have the power to make a world free of racism and limitations. In the first two stanzas, the speaker sees racism and immobility. In the last stanza, the speaker envisions the possibility of a world without bigotry. The speaker imagines freedom and asks their allies to “hurry” (Line 15) to build a just world. The poem ends with a flurry of movement and action. The speaker imagines an emancipated, unprejudiced society with no “fenced-off narrow space” (Line 4).
The Importance of Seeing and Thinking
The speaker’s perception of the world doesn’t come out of thin air—it’s a product of critically looking at and evaluating the world. By bearing witness, the speaker understands their environment. They see the “fenced-off narrow space” (Line 4) and the “walls oppression builds” (Line 9).
The speaker analyzes what they see and why they find themselves in their confined situation. They understand that their lot in life has been “[a]ssigned” to them and isn’t a result of something they have done. Since there is no rational basis for racism, they grasp that the racism that runs throughout the United States is “silly” (Line 6) and “Will have to go!” (Line 10). The themes of sight and thought create a juxtaposition. The speaker sees and thinks, but the people who produce and perpetuate racism don’t.
In Stanza 3, sight and thought explicitly come together. The speaker links the sight of their “hands” (Line 13) with what’s in their “mind” (Line 14). The speaker realizes it’s possible to put their visions and thoughts into practice. They can use their understanding and change what they see. Through critical analysis, they “can make” (Line 13) a world where no one has to bear witness to the sights of racism. The speaker can’t do this using only their vision and thoughts. They need the vision and thoughts of others—“comrades” (Line 15)—to help them make such a world.
Physical Action and Change
In “I look at the world,” it’s not enough to bear witness to racism and evaluate its harm and impact. Seeing and thinking is only one step. The poem ends with the movement toward action and change. The direct call to action occurs in the final lines: “Then let us hurry, comrades, /The road to find.” (Lines 15/16).
The speaker doesn’t want to settle for dreaming about a better world. Rather, they want to put the idea of a nonracist world into practice. With the help of others, they want to “find” the “road” (Line 16) that leads to the physical transformation of America into a tolerant, equal society. In Hughes's poem, visions and thoughts require action in the material world. If people want to effect change, they have to dedicate themselves and do more than point out flaws.
Almost 90 years later, Hughes’s theme remains relevant. A fair amount of people—including former President Barack Obama—believe it’s relatively easy to identify and call out racist behavior on social media. (“Barack Obama challenges 'woke' culture.” 2019. BBC.com.) However, it’s harder to take the substantial time and energy needed to create a nonracist world offline and in the tangible world.
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