In this poem, Discourse on the Logic of Language, the idea of language is a continual theme. The speaker of this poem explains how language is not only important as a way of communication and connectivity with other humans being, but also as an identity aspect of one’s self. The poem says that “English is a foreign language”, to me this represents the removal of slaves in society. Taking language away from slaves disconnects them to other people in society.

In Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of a Life he discusses how important learning to read and write was to him. To Douglass it was way for him to become free. Slaves weren’t permitted to learn how to read and write. Learning language would allow Douglass to not only be able to communicate with other people. It would have allowed him to connect with the white slaveholders.

Language is a basic human right that everyone has, and the fact that slaves were denied this is unimaginable. Slaves were denied all ways of connectivity; they were separated from their families at a young age and they weren’t allowed to learn language. While keeping all of this from slaves they are keeping knowledge away from them. Not being able to communicate and connect with people is taking away freedoms and the ability to gain knowledge. This idea is addressed in both the poem and Douglass’s narrative.