Theme for English 3h

I am struck by this poem in a different way than most of you--I identify with the instructor. It's clear in the poem that the Columbia professor got something he didn't expect from the speaker, but that's what happens when you ask students to reveal themselves. Hughes did go to Columbia, was a mixed race child and did live in Harlem, so the page did "come out of him." I'm not sure what Hughes' professor hoped for in this "theme for English b", though I'm guessing he wanted some personal investment. Hughes certainly delivered on that front. The poem does beg the question, how much do we teachers really want to know? English classes, unlike say Calculus, do involve personal examination and expression in a way that few other courses do. I am constantly repeating the mantra that I need to see personality in student writing. At times, I don't like what I get, but, just as often, I do. This semester will afford you several opportunities to write about something you care about, using a style you enjoy. Take advantage of those opportunities. Begin, or in many cases continue, to write about things that excite you and show your excitement with style. In other words, try to enjoy at least one writing assignment this year. If Hughes did turn this poem in as his assignment, I suspect he relished doing so, and, although it may not have been what he expected, his professor was undoubtedly moved by it as well.