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Daniel Nelson

Ms. Michko & Mrs. Ragoza

Junior Lit & Comp

15 February 2023

Is Victory Enough?

“Why can’t V-Day be Me-Day too?” by Langston Hughes reveals how racial inequality is

still present, even during a time of victory and celebration. The speaker is an African American

soldier who fought in WWII and experienced traumatizing things, like the death of a close

friend, whom he made a promise “To make our land a land/ Where his son could be a man—/

And there'd be no Jim Crow birds/ Left in our sky.”(Hughes 30-33) The use of the term “Jim

Crow Birds” refers to people who still believe in the Jim Crow Laws and think that white people

are superior to people of color, and they treat people of color poorly, and the speaker promises to

change the ways of these prejudice people, and have equality for both races. This idea about

racial equality continues in further description of the oppression of the Jim Crow laws.

Questioning the morals of the American people the the author writes “When we see Victory's

glow,/ Will you still let old Jim Crow/ Hold me back?” (35-37) The speaker is wondering if the

victory in WWII will be enough for the people to forget about “Old Jim Crow '' and finally treat

African Americans as equals. Langston Hughes further builds on this when he writes “You can't

say I wasn't with you/ in each battle./ As a soldier, and a friend./ When this war comes to an end,/

Will you herd me in a Jim Crow car/ Like cattle?”(63-66) The speaker risked his life in battle to

protect America’s freedom, and wants to be treated equally, additionally the use of simile when

he compares himself to cattle, shows how he has been treated as though he isn’t even human, and

he also once again refers to the Jim Crow laws which is repeated throughout the poem in order to
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put emphasis on how people of color have been treated as though they are inferior to white

people. The poem “Why can’t V-Day be Me-Day too?” Questions the American people about if

victory in WWII is enough for them to abandon the Jim Crow laws and finally treat African

Americans and white Americans as equals. During the Harlem renaissance black people were

wrongly mistreated solely on the color of their skin, and Langston Hughes wrote this poem to

finally put an end to racial discrimination.

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Poem Explication Rubric

Skill Not Foundational Proficient Advanced
Yet
Identifies the topic Identifies the topic Identifies a specific
of the poem of the poem and a theme/perspective
basic theme of the poem

Comments:

Thesis/
Theme

Includes some Includes at least 3 Includes 3 or more

specific lines from specific references specific, meaningful,
the poem, but may to lines of the poem and well-chosen
not have much that have some lines from the poem
connection to the connection to the that relate to the
theme/may be theme theme
surface-level
Evidence
May have 2 or fewer
lines from the poem

Comments:

Explains how the Explains how the Explains the effect

facts or basic details figurative language, and impact of
of the poem connect imagery, or tone of specific figurative
to its main ideas the poem contribute language, imagery,
to its or tone of the poem
Connects to basic theme/meaning and how this
Analysis context of the supports the
Harlem Renaissance Connects the theme theme/author’s
of the poem to the purpose in writing
context of the the poem
Harlem Renaissance
Makes nuanced and
specific connections
to the context of the
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Harlem Renaissance
and/or the poet’s
biography

Comments:

Some elements Heading is correctly No errors in MLA

missing or some formatted format
errors in MLA format
Pages are numbered

In-text citations are

correctly formatted

Works Cited format:

hanging indent,
MLA Format double-spaced,
alphabetized, starts
on a new page

Lines of poetry are

correctly
cited/formatted

Comments:

Shows evidence of Most quotes are All quotes are

basic proofreading correctly integrated correctly integrated

Follows organization: Fluir organization,

Conventions/ topic/thesis sentence, including smooth
Expectations integration of transitions between
evidence, analysis, evidence
and concluding
sentence Shows evidence of
careful proofreading
Shows evidence of
proofreading
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Comments:

Grade: B