The Life and Works of Langston Hughes

686 Words2 Pages

James Mercer Langston Hughes, commonly known as Langston Hughes, was an influential African American writer during the 1920s, a time marked by pervasive racial discrimination. He is best known for his contributions to the Harlem Renaissance. Despite a difficult childhood, Hughes overcame his struggles and became a renowned poet of the Renaissance, a legacy that will continue to inspire future generations. Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents, James Hughes and Carrie Langston, divorced when he was very young. Following the divorce, his father moved to Cuba, and his mother moved in search of a job. As a result, Langston was raised by his maternal grandmother until she passed away when he was in his early teens. For the next two years, he lived with family friends. Eventually, his mother returned to take care of him and provide a better future. His mother and he settled in Cleveland, Ohio when he was first introduced to famous works of poetry by his teacher. The teacher introduced him to the poetry of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman, who would later become inspiring figures to him. Langston Hughes contributed to his school by writing for the school newspaper, editing the yearbook, and beginning to write his first short stories, poetry, and dramatic plays. "When Sue Wears Red" was Langston’s first piece of jazz poetry that he wrote while he was in high school. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" was Langston Hughes's first major published poem, which received high praise. It became his signature poem and was published in The Crisis in 1921, a year after it was written. In 1925, while working as a busboy in a Washington, D.C. hotel restaurant, Langston Hughes met Vachel Lindsay, an American poet, who discovered his talent in poetry. Lindsay used his connections to promote Hughes's poetry, which helped bring it to a broader audience. Another recognized poem of Hughes's was "The Weary Blues," which won first place in the Opportunity Magazine Literary Competition in 1925. As a result, Hughes received a scholarship to attend Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

More about The Life and Works of Langston Hughes

Open Document