Langston Hughes Essay
analytical Essay
523 words
During the early to mid-twentieth century Langston Hughes contributed vastly to a very significant cultural movement later to be named the “Harlem Renaissance.” At the time it was named the “New Negro Movement,” which involved African Americans in creating and expressing their words through literature and art. Hughes contributed in a variety of different aspects including plays, poems, short stories, novels and even jazz. He was even different from other notable black poets at the time in the way that he shared personal experiences rather than the ordinary everyday experiences of black America. His racial pride helped mold American politics and literature into what it is today. James Mercer “Langston” Hughes was born on February 1st, 1902, in Joplin Missouri. He was the second child to his mother, Carrie Mercer Langston, and his father, James Nathaniel Hughes. Both of his parents were free African Americans who worked primarily as school teachers along with a variety of other jobs. His Father left the family to go to Cuba when Langston was a young child to escape the racism that he ...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how langston hughes contributed to the harlem renaissance and the new negro movement. his racial pride helped mold american politics and literature into what it is today.
- Explains that james mercer "langston" hughes was born on february 1st, 1902, in joplin missouri. he was the second child to his mother, carrie, and his father, james nathaniel hughes.
- Describes how langston relocated to mexico to spend a year with his father and became part of the "harlem renaissance," where he voiced the experiences of black america at the time.
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- An Essay On Langston Hughesanalytical essayIn 1902, Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri to his parents who eventually divorced and caused Hughes to live with his grandmother. His grandmother lived in Lawrence, Kansas, where he mainly grew up. Langston’s grandmother shared many stories with him as a young boy, about his family in the slavery days and how they had to fight for their freedom and how to end slavery. His grandmother introduced him to the "Bible" and "Crisis," the magazine. From stories told by his grandmother, it filled him with pride of who he was and his race. He then grew more into an interest in African American culture and history that he later wrote in many stories, autobiographies, histories, and poems.Hughes grandmother a few years later died, which resulted in him to live with family friends. This horrific event influenced him to take a stronger take on writing. It gave him more reason to write beautiful pieces in remembrance of his grandmother. It gave him the chance to shape his mind into a poetic state.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that langston hughes was born in joplin, missouri, to his parents who eventually divorced and caused him to live with his grandmother in lawrence, kansas, where he grew up.
- Analyzes how hughes' love of reading helped him cope with the depression of not having time to spend with his parents. his father was an outspoken critic of american racism.
- Explains that hughes was elected class poet at lincoln grammar school because of the stereotype that african americans have rhythm. he wrote for the school newspaper, edited the yearbook, and wrote his first jazz poetry.
- Explains that langston hughes quit college and moved to new york, where he worked as a sailor, farm hand, and delivery truck driver.
- Explains that walt whitman and carl sandburg were two of hughes's early influences in his life.
- Describes the harlem renaissance as an african american cultural movement centered in new york city.
- Analyzes how hughes found inspiration in harlem, writing about political injustices, racial oppression, poverty, the black experience, family, and work. he loved his life as a black man and where he came from.
- Analyzes how hughes used his own understanding of working-class culture and his life experiences for subject matter and character construction in many of his works.
- Explains that hughes was the first to use rhythms of black music in his poetry. he helped the movement of jazz, and experimented with his writing.
1258 wordsRead More - Langston Hughes' Poetryanalytical essayLangston Hughes (1902-1967) absorbed America. In doing so, he wrote about many issues critical to his time period, including The Renaissance, The Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the Black Power movement, Jazz, Blues, and Spirituality. Just as Hughes absorbed America, America absorbed the black poet in just about the only way its mindset allowed it to: by absorbing a black writer with all of the patronizing self-consciousness that that entails.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hughes absorbed america, writing about issues critical to his time period, including the renaissance, the depression, world war ii, the civil rights movement, black power, jazz, blues, and spirituality.
- Analyzes how hughes' contradiction of being both black and american was a great one for him. his "black experience" was sensationalized, but he obscured his own torments and insecurities regarding his ambiguous sexuality,
- Analyzes how hughes' distinctive style stemmed from urban nightclubs in which black artists performed for a white audience. jazz and black oral influences, as well as social dichotomy, are pervasive elements throughout his poetry.
- Analyzes how hughes uses the musicality of his poetry and incorporates it with an important social statement regarding the relation status between blacks and whites.
- Analyzes how hughes presents us with musical and effective language, an intense social statement, and a very important sense of equality, shocking us into reality.
- Analyzes how "theme for english b" has many of the characteristics that his earlier works from the harlem renaissance possessed. the language is simple, yet effective in making a very important social statement.
- Analyzes how hughes' 1951 publication titled "montage of a dream deferred" shows his perception of harlem's deterioration.
- Analyzes how hughes' need for money caused him to write for the sole purpose of writing, rather than to convey a message. his position in the american literary scene seems secure.
810 wordsRead More - Langston Hughes Biography Essayanalytical essay1920’s Harlem was a time of contrast and contradiction, on one hand it was a hotbed of crime and vice and on the other it was a time of creativity and rebirth of literature and at this movement’s head was Langston Hughes. Hughes was a torchbearer for the Harlem Renaissance, a literary and musical movement that began in Harlem during the Roaring 20’s that promoted not only African-American culture in the mainstream, but gave African-Americans a sense of identity and pride.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that 1920's harlem was a time of contrast and contradiction, on one hand, it was hotbed of crime and vice, and on the other, the movement’s head was langston hughes.
- Analyzes how hughes was influenced by the stories told by his grandmother as they instilled a sense of racial pride in his works. hughes used traditional "negro dialect" to represent his african-american brethren.
- Analyzes how jesse b. semple, or "simple" as he was affectionately called, had a unique view on topics ranging from having "ugly contests" to integration and jim crow laws.
- Explains that hughes was at the forefront of the modernist movement and the harlem renaissance literary movement, which was essentially a more afrocentric version.
- Opines that hughes served as a vanguard for aspiring african-american writers, guardian of tradition, civil rights activist through his writing and as the face of the harlem renaissance.
- Cites the library system's "a centennial tribute to langston hughes." howard university, n.d.
565 wordsRead More - Langston Hughesexplanatory essayJames Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was very small, and his father (who found American racism made his desires to be a lawyer impossible) left the family and emigrated to Mexico. Hughes' mother moved with her child to Lawrence, Kansas, so she and he could live with his grandmother, Mary Langston.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that james langston hughes was born february 1, 1902, in joplin, missouri. his parents divorced when he was very small, and his father left the family and emigrated to mexico.
- Explains that langston hughes' mother moved to topeka in 1907, leaving the five-year-old with his grandmother. he came from a family of african-american activists.
- Describes how langston hughes was successful in high school, publishing poetry and stories in the central high monthly magazine and taking part in track events. his first major publication was in 1921 with 'the negro speaks of rivers.
- Describes how hughes left columbia university in 1922 and moved to harlem, where he won first prize in a magazine contest with ''weary blues', which gained him the attention of many writers.
- Describes how hughes enrolled at lincoln university in 1926, where he finished his first novel. after attempting to come to terms with his father's materialism and leaving harlem, hughes traveled through the american south, reading poetry to people in churches and schools.
- Explains that hughes refused to differentiate between his personal experience and the common experience of black america. he wanted to toell the stories of his people without personalizing them.
- Explains that hughes wrote novels, stories, songs, speeches, and children's books. he is associated with jazz, which influenced some of his poems.
673 wordsRead More - Langston Hughesexplanatory essayLangston Hughes James Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He was named after his father, but it was later shortened to just Langston Hughes. He was the only child of James and Carrie Hughes. His family was never happy so he was a lonely youth. The reasons for their unhappiness had as much to do with the color of their skin and the society into which they had been born as they did with their opposite personalities.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that james langston hughes was born on february 1, 1902, in joplin, missouri. his family was never happy so he was a lonely youth. they were victims of white attitudes and discriminatory laws.
- Describes how langston hughes lived with his grandmother, mary hughes, who opposed racial discrimination, and friends, james and mary reed, in all-white neighborhoods.
- Narrates how langston dealed with his loneliness by writing poetry. after his grandmother died in 1915, he moved to cleveland, ohio.
- Explains that langston hughes devoted himself to his class work and other interests. his jewish friends were the ones who first opened his eyes to the ideals of socialism.
- Analyzes how langston used negro dialects, street talk, and the blues. hughes' poetry began to reflect images of black experiences, captured in romare bearden’s after church.
- Narrates how hughes arrived in new york city in september 1921, when he was only nineteen years old. his year of study at columbia university offered troubling racial encounters. countee cullen became hughes' chief poetic rival.
- Narrates how hughes left new york on june13, 1923, heading to the west coast of africa. in a depressed frame of mind, he wrote, i, too, sing america.
- Describes how hughes accepted the opportunity to become a student at lincoln university in pennsylvania. the poems in fine clothes to the jew offered earthy and unsentimental descriptions of black life.
- Describes how hughes helped work on a play called mule bone, based on the myths and folk styles of rural southern blacks. after winning the harmon prize for achievement in black literature, hughes established golden stair press.
- Narrates how hughes spent the early part of the 1940's working on his autobiography, the big sea, which tells in brilliantly clear language the story of his life up to the year 1931.
- Explains that they chose langston hughes as their famous african american because his poems are their favorites, and he was always trying to improve the life of african americans.
1152 wordsRead More - Langston Hughesnarrative essayLangston Hughes During his lifetime, he was known as "the poet laureate of Harlem. " What this meant, is that he was worthy of honor and he excelled in poetry. In addition, he worked as a journalist, dramatist, essayist, novelist, playwright, lyricist, and children's author during his life. This man’s name is Langston Hughes, however his full name is James Langston Hughes.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that langston hughes excelled in poetry and was known as "the poet laureate of harlem."
- Narrates how langston's father encouraged him to pursue a practical career, and he dropped out of columbia university in 1921.
- Narrates how he continued to write poetry, including "the negro speaks of rivers", which appeared in brownie's book. he worked as a seaman, traveling to africa and europe.
- Narrates how james earned his living as a writer with his novel 'not without laughter' and his children's book, "the dream keeper".
- Explains that james langston hughes died on may 22, 1967, after an abdominal surgery in new york city. he wrote sixteen books of poems, two novels, three collections of short stories, twenty plays, children's poetry, musicals & operas, and three autobiographies.
336 wordsRead More - The Life & Poems of Langston Hughesanalytical essayDuring a time in American History were African Americans had no rights of freedom of speech or even a right to vote. Growing up in many different cities and living with many relatives, Langston Hughes experienced poverty. Langston Hughes used poetry to speak to the people. Langston Hughes is a pioneer of African American literature and the Harlem renaissance error. Mr. Hughes dedicated his poems to the struggles, pride, dreams, and racial injustices of African American people.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that langston hughes was a pioneer of african american literature and the harlem renaissance error. he dedicated his poems to the struggles, pride, dreams, and racial injustices of black people.
- Explains that james langston hughes was the first african american elected to public office in 1855.
- Explains that langston hughes was one of the first african americans to earn a living entirely by writing. he struggled with the segregation and racial injustices in american.
- Analyzes how the harlem renaissance flourished in the 1920s and 1930s. langston hughes wrote about the great depression and the poor and homeless black americans.
777 wordsRead More - Poet Of Langston Hughesanalytical essayJames Mercer Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. James Hughes and Carrie Langston are Hughes’ parents. They later divorced when Hughes was young. After his parents divorced he went to live with his grandmother until he turned thirteen years old. At thirteen years old he moved to Lincoln, Illinois. After living in Illinois he later moved to Cleveland, Ohio to live with his mother. When he moved to Cleveland he started writing poetry (“James Mercer…” par. 2). Langston had many influential poets that he looked up too such as Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman (“James Mercer…”par. 2). Langston Hughes, a gifted African-American poet, whose poetry was driven by blues, jazz, and other prominent ideas of the Harlem Renaissance.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that james mercer langston hughes was born february 1, 1902 in joplin, missouri. he moved to lincoln, illinois, where he wrote poetry.
- Explains how hughes graduated from high school in 1920 and spent some time with his father in mexico. hughes's early works were influenced by the absence of his parents.
- Describes hughes' first works, such as "the negro speaks of rivers" and 'the weary blues', which explored the renaissance time period.
- Analyzes how hughes' poetry style separated him from other african-american poets because he made his poems about real life situations such as the struggles of blacks during that time period.
- Analyzes how hughes created many successful plays, including "little ham" and "emperor of haiti".
- Analyzes how hughes was accused of being a communist by senator joseph mccarthy, who forced him to testify about his political views. hughes' career was not faulted.
- Analyzes how hughes' "not without laughter" is a fictional book that talks about the characteristics and descriptions of many different people.
- Explains that hughes made poetry that anyone could read and understand unlike some of the other poets during his time.
- Explains that langston hughes died of prostate cancer on may 22, 1967 in new york. his contributions were recognized by the people of harlem, who placed his ashes at the arthur schomburg center for research in black culture.
- Analyzes how langston hughes' "the weary blues" depicts many themes, such as the harlem renaissance, clubs, music, blues, jazz, dance, and etc.
- Opines that "the negro speaks of rivers" is one of hughes' famous poems. it is about the rivers in africa that the slaves used.
1325 wordsRead More - Langston Hughesanalytical essay“I dream a world where… love will bless the earth and peace its paths adorn.” -- Langston Hughes
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hughes, raised in mild poverty, developed a strong emotional connection to anyone in emotional or physical turmoil through the poem "harlem" or "a dream deferred."
- Analyzes how the speaker adds symbolism to every question asked, such as, "does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"
- Analyzes how the poem reveals utter disrespect from the master to the servant as he is secluded from company and forced to eat in the kitchen.
- Analyzes how hughes' poem, "i, too," shouts for equality and freedom. hughes depicts a slave who is treated horribly by his master but still has the strength to rebel against him.
- Analyzes how hughes' "dream variations" is a poem that only has two stanzas that may look the same, at first, but are not.
- Analyzes how the first speaker desires to dance and whirl while the second speaker is already dancing. slavery is shown as a key factor between these two speakers.
- Introduces langston hughes and the academy of american poets.
- Cites francis, ted. realism in the novels of the harlem renaissance.
- Analyzes patterson, lindsay, "langston hughes -- the most abused poet in america?" the new york times company, 29 jan. 1969.
- Opines that whitaker, charles, celebrated langston hughes' 100th birthday in ebony magazine, april 2002.
- Explains that james mercer langston hughes was an american poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist.
- Analyzes hughes' use of imagery, metaphors, and personifications to create a strong mood in his poem, "dreams."
- Analyzes how langston hughes uses his melancholy structure to hold the poem together, revealing the pain a slave went through.
2529 wordsRead More - Langston Hughes And The Harlem Renaissanceanalytical essayDuring the 1920's and 30’s, America went through a period of astonishing artistic creativity, the majority of which was concentrated in one neighborhood of New York City, Harlem. The creators of this period of growth in the arts were African-American writers and other artists. Langston Hughes is considered to be one of the most influential writers of the period know as the Harlem Renaissance. With the use of blues and jazz Hughes managed to express a range of different themes all revolving around the Negro. He played a major role in the Harlem Renaissance, helping to create and express black culture. He also wrote of political views and ideas, racial inequality and his opinion on religion. I believe that Langston Hughes’ poetry helps to capture the era know as the Harlem Renaissance.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that langston hughes' poetry helps to capture the era known as the harlem renaissance.
- Analyzes how hughes' poem "come to the waldorf-astoria" tackles the disparity between wealthy whites and the african-americans of the 1930's.
- Analyzes how hughes' poem "the weary blues" addresses the delicate subject of the boundary that is blackness.
- Analyzes how "harlem" questions the social consequences of "deferred" dreams, hinting at the bitterness and racial conflict that came about with the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
634 wordsRead More