Summary

The speaker of the poem begins by asserting, “I, too, sing America” (1). The speaker describes himself as “the darker brother” to imply that he is a racial minority (2). Describing his social ostracization, the speaker is sent “to eat in the kitchen / When company comes” (3-4). However, rather than expressing despondency or anger, the speaker proceeds with a defiant and determined voice – “But I laugh, / And eat well, / And grow strong" (5-7).

Following the defiant tone of stanza two, the third stanza opens with “Tomorrow” as the speaker declares that he will “be at the table when company comes” (8-10). The speaker describes a future time in which “Nobody’ll dare / Say to me, / ‘Eat in the kitchen’” (11-13).

The fourth stanza continues as a digression in the speaker’s train of thought. “Besides” not daring to tell him to leave the table, “They’ll...