Analysis ranging from lines 175, “Who said those things? Americans!,” to the last line 202, “HOLD ON!”
Who said those things? Americans!
Who owns those words? America!
Who is America? You, me!
In a world that treats Hughes as anything but American, he overcomes this hurt to fight for the title that should also be his-a free American.
We are America!
To the enemy who would conquer us from without,
We say, NO!
The tone changes here from peaceful to very declarative, showing that freedom is not anything to compromise. Here, it shows Hughes being an American and using his 1st amendment right to advocate for a fairer democracy.
To the enemy who would divide
And conquer us from within,
We say, NO!
FREEDOM!
BROTHERHOOD!
DEMOCRACY!
The excitement and urgency serve as a rallying cry for Americans to work together as history would have them do. Hughes has a patriotic tone in this.
To all the enemies of these great words:
We say, NO!
A long time ago,
An enslaved people heading toward freedom
The poem began with European immigrants coming across the sea in line 27 (“A long time ago, but not too long ago,/Ships came from across the sea/Bringing the Pilgrims and prayer-makers”). Now it’s ending with the enslaved running away from their enslavers. This compares the two oppressed people, adds a commonality, and again brings a sentiment of understanding to everyone reading it.
Made up a song:
Keep Your Hand On The Plow!
Hold On!
The plow plowed a new furrow
Across the field of history.
It’s important to remember the purpose of how the plow disrupts the unfavorable materials in the soil in order for the new crop to be planted successfully. Similarly, true freedom only works in a democracy when its people set their minds to grow it (the internal), then actually disrupt the performative freedom so that they can plant the true version for the crop to yield (the external).
Into that furrow the freedom seed was dropped.
From that seed a tree grew, is growing, will ever grow.
Hughes is saying that authentic freedom is growing in America. The optimism here also helps further Hughes' credibility. He's something with good intentions that the readers can trust.
That tree is for everybody,
For all America, for all the world.
May its branches spread and shelter grow
Until all races and all peoples know its shade.
This tree serves as a generational legacy for Americans. Generational wealth was important at that time as it would leave behind a person's valuable hard earnings to those that they know will take care of it after they are gone. Therefore, Hughes lets this symbolic tree serve as a beacon of hope for the future.
KEEP YOUR HAND ON THE PLOW!
HOLD ON!
Ending with this declaration ties up the theme of the poem: For Americans to work together during the war despite their cultural differences so that they can be better citizens and have a Double V Victory on the two-front war.
Summary:
Hughes concludes his unifying message on a hopeful note. He establishes his voice as an American and demands that his White countrymen come together with Black Americans for a victory during WWII and racial segregation.