American Poets: Langston Hughes

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Langston Hughes was the most prominent social activist and an American Poet. He was also a famous playwright, novelist and a columnist. He was born in February1 1902 in Joplin, Missouri (Hughes 210). His father was called James Hughes and her mother was Carrie. It is said that when Langston was born his parent separated and his father decided to move to Mexico. He graduated from high school in the year 1992 and spent the following year with his dad in Mexico (Hughes 210). He first enrolled himself to the University of Columbia; however, he left after a period of year to travel and he was able to work in various jobs around New York.

Hughes’s mother had also moved around during his youthful age. This means that he was left without his parent support. However, he was left under his tender grandmother who was called Mary. This shows that he was primary raised by his grandmother until when she died during his teen’s age. When his grandmother died, he was forced to go and live with her mother where they were in a position to visit several cities. However, they decided to settle in Cleveland, Ohio. It was during this entire time when he started to write his first poem. Langston Hughes is known as a famous and earliest innovator of the new literary art form Jazz poetry (Hughes 120). In addition, he is best known for his entire work during the Harlem Renaissance (Hughes 210). He famously wrote about the period, "Harlem was in vogue (Hughes 210)." It is believed that when Langston Hughes was in Cleveland, Ohio,

one of his best teachers had pioneered him to the poetry of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman (Hughes 210). He later cited these poets as his primary influences as they both inspired him to his poetry.

The reason why Langston H...

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Work cited

Bloom, Harold. Langston Hughes. New York: Blooms Literary Criticism, 2008. Internet resource.

Haugen, Brenda. Langston Hughes: The Voice of Harlem. Minneapolis, Minn: Compass Point Books, 2006. Print.

Hughes, Langston. Selected Poems of Langston Hughes. London: Serpent's Tail, 1999. Print.

Tracy, Steven C. Langston Hughes & the Blues. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2001. Print.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. Langston Hughes. New York: Blooms Literary Criticism, 2008. Internet resource.

Haugen, Brenda. Langston Hughes: The Voice of Harlem. Minneapolis, Minn: Compass Point Books, 2006. Print.

Hughes, Langston. Selected Poems of Langston Hughes. London: Serpent's Tail, 1999. Print.

Tracy, Steven C. Langston Hughes & the Blues. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2001. Print.

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