Around the start of 20^th century, Harlem, New York, was the epicenter of cultural renaissance, known as the 'Harlem Renaissance'. This is also, on occasions, known as the 'New Negro Movement'.

The narrator is a 22 year old, colored, young man, who was born in Winston-Salem. He had been to school at the place where he was born, and followed that by going to a school in Durham, before he started going to his current college in Harlem. The narrator is a resident of Harlem. He stays at Harlem branch of YMCA. This was located at the heart of the Harlem Renaissance. The 'Harlem Y' was declared to be a 'National Historic Landmark' in 1976, and 'New York City Landmark in 1998. He is assigned the task by his instructor to write a page. Once in his room, and when he starts his assignment, he finds it difficult to write. The instructor has asked him to write what he finds true. The narrator says it is difficult to know what is the truth and what isn't at the young age of twenty two. He hazards a guess that whatever he can see, hear, and feel, must be the truth. The narrator has his share of experiences in all the three aspects from Harlem and New York. The narrator tries to identify himself as someone who loves to sleep, eat, drink, be in love, work, read, learn, and understands life. He wishes to get a pipe as a gift for Christmas. He has an interest in Bessie, Bop, and Bach. He says that being colored doesn't make him not like the things that people of other races like. The writer wonders, "So will my page be colored that I write?". He says that his writing will have a few different shades as well. It will have some of his white instructor in his writing, that has now become a part of his writing. This, at times, is not what both of them want, but it remains a fact. He says 'That's American'. The poem concludes with the writer saying "This is my page for English B", which is a result of the narrator learning something from the instructor, as has the instructor learned a few things from him, despite the instructor being 'older', 'white', and 'somewhat more free'.

The poem is a view of the racist society prevalent at the beginning of 20^th century in America, as seen by a young man, the narrator. The writer, as a part of his assigned task, tries to keep his writing honest. He, to begin with, finds it difficult to understand what the truth is. He wonders whether the truth is what he feels or likes? He does not resent what people of other races like just because he is colored. He thinks about how impartial he can be when penning down the truth. He admits that there is bound to be some bias in his writing, yet, majorly, his writing is like the American society, which he says is incomplete without all elements that form it. These elements that make up the society, may, at times, not want to be a part of the mixture. But he says, the truth is that they are a part of it and get to learn things from one another.

Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He was one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance. He was a poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and a columnist. He was also one of the innovators of jazz poetry. he passed away on May 22, 1967.