During the 1960s, one hundred yearsit after the civil war, a civil rights movement for African-Americans was taking place in the united sates. Martin Luther king jr. was a leader in the movement and Langston Hughes, a black poet who lived from 1902 to 1967. Kings famous "I have a dream" speech, and Hughes poem "I too" conveyed many of the same messages and each used unique methods of the English language to do so.
             Some of the main ideas in king's speech are "one day there will be equality" and a message of achieving this equality through non-violence.
             King makes references to the emancipation proclamation, the constitution and the declaration of independence. These documents have granted equality to black Americans, but the equality had not yet surfaced. However, king shows he has optimism by saying that people have come together immediately and work towards the goal of equality, peacefully. Hughes displays a similar message of optimism when in his poem he writes, "besides. They'll see how beautiful I am. And be ashamed." King then send a message of non violence, saying that rioting and becoming violent will accomplish nothing because you cannot fight ignorance with hate. Hughes shows his message of non-violence when he says he will just laugh, wait, and then grow stronger.
             Both of these men use metaphors as a literary device. King talks of an "insufficient check" granted by the constitution and the declaration of independence. He is basically saying that just because legally they are equal, doesn't mean that they are to people everyday. Hughes entire poem is a metaphor about eating dinner, and how he is forced to eat in the kitchen and not in the dining room when company arrives. Another method used by king is repetition; he repeatedly states that he has a dream. The repetition with his bold voice truly emphasizes the fact.
             Martin Luther King jr., and Langst...