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Langston Hughes was one of the great writers of his time. He was named the “most renowned African American poet of the 20th century” (McLaren). Through his writing he made many contributions to following generations by writing about African American issues in creative ways including the use of blues and jazz. Langston Hughes captured the scene of Harlem life in the early 20th century significantly influencing American Literature. He once explained that his writing was an attempt to “explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America” (Daniel 760). To fulfill this task, he wrote 15 volumes of poetry, six novels, three books, 11 plays, and a variety of non-fiction work (Daniel 760). He also edited over 50 books in his time (McKay).
James Mercer Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri February 1, 1902. He grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. His life was hard when he was young; his parents were separated with little money to go around, and he was very lonely. “Po’ Boy Blues” expresses how he felt during those times:
When I was home de
Sunshine seemed like gold.
Since I come up North de
Whole damn world's turned cold.
I was a good boy,
Never done no wrong.
Yes, I was a good boy,
Never done no wrong,
But this world is weary
An' de road is hard an' long.
Hughes lived with his relatives and moved around much throughout the first part of his life. He learned quickly to be independent. During part of his childhood, Hughes lived with his grandmother who taught him many stories and life lessons. At the age of 13, he moved back with his mother and her second husband in Illinois. Hughes entered Columbia University, New York in the fall of 1921. He soon abandoned his studies and in the fall of 1923, he sailed as a steward on a freighter, the S.S. West Hesseltine, to the West Coast of Africa where he learned about African culture.
Soon after, in 1924, he traveled to Paris to work as a cook’s helper at a nightclub that featured primarily African-American performers. Experiences there inspired him to experiment more with jazz and blues rhythms in his poetry (Rempersad 286). Leaving Paris a year later, he returned to the United States, where he worked menial jobs to support himself while writing poetry. Five years later, Hughes earned enough money to be able to attend and graduate from Lincoln University...
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...tively capture the scene of Harlem life.
Works Cited
Bell-Russel, Danna. Rev. of Library Journal, by Darralynn Hutson and Jamal Joseph. Hughes’ Harlem Dream. 2003 .
Beqilacqua, Winifred Farant. “Langston Hughes.” Dictionary of Literary Biography. 1989. Gale Group. 18 Apr. 2004 .
Daniel, Kathleen, et al, ed. Elements of Literature. 5th edition. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2003. 760-67.
Dickinson, Donald D. “Langston Hughes.” American Writers. Supp. I, Part 1. Ed. Leonard Unger. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1979. 320-48.
Hart, James D. “Hughes, Langston.” The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. 393-94.
Martinson, Deborah. “Langston Hughes.” Dictionary of Literary Biography. 2000. Gale Group. 18 Apr. 2004 .
McKay, Nellie Y. “Hughes, Langston.” World Book Online Reference Center. 2004. World Book. 18 Apr. 2004 .
McLaren, Joseph. Rev. of Research in African Literatures, by Steven C. Tracy. Langston Hughes and the Blues. Fall 2003 .
Rapersad, Arnold. “Hughes, James Langston.” Dictionary of American Biography. Supp. Eight. Ed. John Garraty and Mark Carnes. New York: Charles Schribner’s Son, 1988. 285-89.
Langston Hughes was an African American poet who emerged during the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance strongly influenced most of Langston Hughes’s writing. In such works as “Dream”, “Still Here”, “Dream Deferred”, and “Justice” you see the clear messages that are trying to be voiced through his work.
"A Centennial Tribute to Langston Hughes." Library System - Howard University. Howard University, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
For example, Rediker only mentions American president Martin Van Buren in the Amistad Rebellion after the victory in which a Connecticut circuit court ruled in favor of the African captives. Perhaps the author could more extensively discuss the political implications of the Amistad Rebellion in American politics. What we read in the book is “Martin Van Buren supported the Spanish crown.” Perhaps readers could benefit from a more in-depth discussion of how the political elite in the United States responded to the rebellion and the court cases that soon followed. Even though this is an unfortunate shortcoming of the book, it does not necessarily detract from the overall argument of the book - which is that the Amistad Rebellion drastically changed the institution of
“Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words.” –Edgar Allan Poe. Poetry is one of the world’s greatest wonders. It is a way to tell a story, raise awareness of a social or political issue, an expression of emotions, an outlet, and last but not least it is an art. Famous poet Langston Hughes uses his poetry as a musical art form to raise awareness of social injustices towards African-Americans during the time of the Harlem Renaissance. Although many poets share similarities with one another, Hughes creatively crafted his poetry in a way that was only unique to him during the 1920’s. He implemented different techniques and styles in his poetry that not only helped him excel during the 1920’s, but has also kept him relative in modern times. Famous poems of his such as a “Dream Deferred,” and “I, Too, Sing America” are still being studied and discussed today. Due to the cultural and historical events occurring during the 1920’s Langston Hughes was able to implement unique writing characteristics such as such as irregular use of form, cultural and historical referenced themes and musical influences such as Jazz and the blues that is demonstrative of his writing style. Langston Hughes use of distinct characteristics such as irregular use of form, cultural and historical referenced themes and musical influences such as Jazz and the blues helped highlight the plights of African-Americans during the Harlem Renaissance Era.
... understanding the life and inspirations of Langston Hughes, the society and mind set of the black man in the 1940s, and the representation that Jesse B. Semple held for the black men of that time, we can answer the question: Is Jesse B. Semple an accurate representation of the black man of the 1940s? When observing the work of Lansgton Hughes with the “Simple” stories and comparing it to the society and the condition which black men during that time were under at the time of the Harlem Renaissance and in the 1940s, which Hughes himself was going through at the time he was writing these pieces, it is clear to see that the representation of the black man through Jesse B. Semple was accurate.
When reading the literature of Langston Hughes, I cant help but feeling energetically charged and inspired. Equality, freedom, empowerment, renaissance, justice and perseverance, are just a taste of the subject matter Hughes offers. He amplifies his voice and beliefs through his works which are firmly rooted in race pride and race feeling. Hughes committed himself both to writing and to writing mainly about African Americans. His early love for the “wonderful world of books” was sparked by loneliness and parental neglect. He would soon lose himself in the works of Walt Whitman, Paul Laurence, Carl Sandburg and other literary greats which would lead to enhancing his ever so growing style and grace of oeuvre. Such talent, character, and willpower could only come from one’s life experiences. Hughes had allot to owe to influences such as his grandmother and great uncle John Mercer Langston - a famous African American abolitionist. These influential individuals helped mold Hughes, and their affect shines brightly through his literary works of art.
Hughes, Langston. The Negro mother, and other dramatic recitations. Freeport, N.Y.: Books for Libraries Press, 1971. Print.
Berry, Faith. Langston Hughes Before and Beyond Harlem Connecticut: Lawrence Hill and Company Publishers, 1983
Hughes, Langston. �Salvation.� Responding to Literature: Stories, Poems, Plays and Essays. Fourth Edition. Ed. Judith A. Stanford. Boston, 2003. 330-331
R: Trotman, C. 1995. Langston Hughes: The Man, His Art, and His Continuing Influence. Routledge 1995
Hughes, Langston. “Militant.” History is a Weapon: A Selection of the Poetry of Langston Hughes, n.d. 29 April, 2014.
Hughes, Langston. “Visitors to the Black Belt”, Note on Commercial Theatre”, “Democracy”, Theme for English B” : The Norton Anthology of English Literature Gen. ed.
The Collection Poems of Langston Hughes, Rapersad, A. & Roessel, D. ( Eds.) (1995) , New York, Vintage Books
Hughes, Langston. "Harlem (A Dream Deferred)." Literature and the Writing Process. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X. Day, and Robert Funk. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River. Prentice, 2002. 534.
Whitaker, Charles. Langston Hughes: 100th birthday celebration of the poet of Black America, Ebony magazine, April 2002.