Langston Hughes and Natasha Tretheway are two African-American writer and poets with similar works from different time periods. Through their writing they shared experiences that they or loved ones faced, but were also able to demonstrate what a whole ethnicity faced. Obstacles such as racial discrimination, preferences among others, and lack of freedom. African-American people had to battle for equality and freedom, which in some instances even caused the death of many. Many important people with brave souls stepped up to leave a legacy of what they faced in order to help the African-American race. In between some of those, were writers such as Langston Hughes, and the present day poet Natasha Tretheway. Langston Hughes and Natasha Trethewey …show more content…
His parents divorced when he was a child, and his father moved to Mexico. After these events, he was raised by his grandmother until the age of thirteen. He then left back to his mother’s side to be with her new husband and her in Lincoln, Illinois, until ultimately settling in Cleveland, Ohio. The short time he was in Illinois is when he first started writing poetry. From that point forward it was history, a writer and poet was in the making. He went onto a university, worked small jobs, and then moved to Washington D.C. Furthermore, his first poetry book was “The Weary Blues” was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926. By 1930 he wrote his first novel and won the Harmon Gold medal for literature. Langston Hughes claimed that his primary influences were, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Carl Sandburg, and Walt Whitman, and “is particularly known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties” (poets.org). In addition, he was never afraid to tackle diverse issues and used his knowledge and popularity to the advantage of the African-American race. “Hughes refused to differentiate between his personal experience and the common experience of black America. He wanted to tell the stories of his people in ways that reflected their actual culture, including both their suffering and their love of music, laughter, and language itself” (poets.org). He was unique because he never wanted to differentiate things, and spoke things as they were without coating it, unlike many other black
Dudley Randall and Langston Hughes have both wrote poems on the same topic, the Birmingham Bombing of 1963 at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Besides the fact that the two authors published their poems at different times, a two-year difference to be exact, the poems have other considerable differences in how they present their versions of the bombing.
James Mercer Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, on February 1, 1902, to James Nathaniel Hughes, a lawyer and businessman, and Carrie Mercer (Langston) Hughes, a teacher. The couple separated shortly thereafter. James Hughes was, by his son’s account, a cold man who hated blacks (and hated himself for being one), feeling that most of them deserved their ill fortune because of what he considered their ignorance and laziness. Langston’s youthful visits to him there, although sometimes for extended periods, were strained and painful. He attended Columbia University in 1921-22, and when he died he, left everything to three elderly women who had cared for him in his last illness, and Langston was not even mentioned in his will.
The writings of the two authors, Langston Hughes and John Steinbeck address examples of how literature reflects society. Furthermore, the main idea is how the stated essential question related to modern day writers and how it reflected upon tragic events such as the great depression & racism toward Africans. For example in “Cora Unashamed” by Langston Hughes. He mentions how Africans had to go through hardships and were looked down upon, relating back to how literature was shaped. In the story, there is an African girl named Cora lived in an amoral time period where poverty was commonly encountered countless hardships. Near the end, Cora becomes pregnant and is looked down upon due to the fact she was uneducated and black when it is quoted
Frederick Douglass and Langston Hughes were both talented African-Americans authors in their time, both were known for their impressive influence works. Douglass's is known to use storytelling to bring the themes and his readers in focus in his writing. Douglass is more of a narrative writer who likes to bring a humor in his writing to make it interest for his readers, like Douglass, Hughes is said to be a more skillful and enduring storyteller than he is being a poet. So both Douglass and Hughes are both good at using storytelling in their writing. Langston Hughes is also said to be a genius writer that captures and utilize the realities of the beauty and the relative importance of African-American heritage while Douglass on the other hand
During the time period of the emancipation proclamation multiple black authors were becoming educated enough to write works of poetry. Such works have influenced and persuaded the minds of white people all over America to this very day. It also gave their own people a work of art to turn to for their own history. The poets have ventured into modern day eras also, and still have the same topics at hand. The main idea of these poetry pieces was on their ancestors in Africa but also of course of the modern problem of slavery. Langston Hughes was the first influential black poet. Lucille Clifton and Colleen McElroy are modern poets but is a black woman who has other views on slavery but also very similar looks on their historical past. All of the poets all mentioned their historical background in Africa. Langston Hughes, Lucille Clifton, and Colleen McElroy all wrote about their ancestors and of slavery, and some of the same references were of the rivers, and the connection between the people even though they are literally worlds apart; a difference between the poems was the desire for freedom and the freedom that was already existing in the modern day poetry of Lucille Clifton and Colleen McElroy.
He remembers, while visiting his mother in Kansas, that she took him to an open-air theater on Independent Avenue. He said that the music seemed to cry to him, but then laugh at the same time. He would remember the feeling of loneliness with such power that he felt as a kid and turned it into a book called “The Weary Blues”, which got published in 1926. Before all of the poems got released as a collection though, one of his poems called “The Weary Blues” took off drastically before the others in 1925. "The Weary Blues" poem went on to win the prestigious literary contest, created by Opportunity magazine. Hughes was said to have wrote "The Weary Blues," a poem about a singer performing on Lenox Avenue, after a visit to Cabaret in Harlem. Hughes would then on try to change the ongoing racial discrimination with the power of jazz. Jazz was a huge musical influence on the African Americans, especially the ones in Harlem. Jazz to Hughes was a way to connect everyone, no matter his or her color, through simply a melody. Even though some white people at the time did not approve of jazz, some were actually quite fond of it and the messages decrypted in them. He wrote a plethora of other jazzy poems during this time like, “ Mulatto”, “Sport” and “Homesick Blues”. One of the most inspirational poems Hughes wrote during the Harlem Renaissance can be found in “The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes” called
“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.
Hughes started writing poetry when he was in Lincoln (“Langston Hughes”). After graduating from high school, Hughes spent a year in Mexico followed by a year at Columbia University in New York City. During this time, he acquired menial jobs but, when he moved to Washington D.C. in November 1924, Alfred A. Knopf, published his first book The Weary Blues.... ... middle of paper ... ...
During 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.
James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin , Missouri . His parents divorced when he was a small child, and his father moved to Mexico . He was raised by his grandmother until he was thirteen, when he moved to Lincoln , Illinois , to live with his mother and her husband, before the family eventually settled in Cleveland , Ohio . It was in Lincoln , Illinois , that Hughes began writing poetry. Following graduation, he spent a year in Mexico and a year at Columbia University . During these years, he held odd jobs as an assistant cook, launderer, and a busboy, and travelled to Africa and Europe working as a seaman. In November 1924, he moved to Washington , D.C. Hughes's first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926. He finished his college education at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania three years later. In 1930 his first novel, Not Without Laughter, won the Harmon gold medal for literature.
Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes were two great of America’s poets who believed in the American Dream. The American Dream was the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. The American Dream meant everything to Whitman and Hughes during that time. Whitman’s poem was titled “I Hear America Singing’’ and Hughes poem was titled “Let America Be America Again.’’ Although Whitman and Hughes agreed that America was the land of opportunity, they had very different perspectives on who had achieved liberty and success.
When it comes to black literature, I only can connect to three writers May Angelou, Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks. All three of these writers talk about things I can relate to. All three of these writers wrote poems, so people can see their pain and what they were going thru. Maya Angelou was a famous black poet and an award-winning author. She had a lot of talents such as screenwriting, dancing, singing and being a civil rights activist. She was known for a famous poem I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings. Maya Angelou wrote a lot of beautiful poems for the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement. Langston Hughes was a black poet that was a novelist and playwriter. Langston was one of the first poets to use the art form of jazz poetry.
Langston Hughes and Sojourner Truth are two of the most notable African Americans in history. Sojourner Truth a slave who found freedom, was an abolitionist, and strong supporter of the feminist movement, and is still an inspiration for women today. Langston Hughes a man of the Harlem Renaissance is a poet whose work is known worldwide. From these individuals come two of the most famous pieces of literature Theme for English B, a poem by Langston Hughes and Sojourner Truth’s Ain’t I a Woman speech from a women’s rights convention in Akron, Ohio. Though the authors of these works were both trying to get a different point across while being written. Similarities between the two works are undeniable and include that both of the authors are of
Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. Poems.org stated that Hughes’ parents were divorced when he was young. He was the offspring of two African American parents. His maternal grandmother raised him until he was 13. He then moved in with his mother and her husband in Cleveland. Hughes’ education consisted of studies at Columbia University. Without completing his education there, he left and took up many odd jobs. One such job included travelling abroad as a seaman. In his adult life, he lived in Washington D.C. Hughes’ poetry was influenced by Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Walt Whitman, and Carl Sandburg. His love of jazz music also shaped some of his poetry (Academy of American Poets). Arnold Rampersad comments that “Hughes's sense of dedication was instilled in him most of all by his maternal grandmother.” Ramperstad also concluded that parental neglect impacted Hughes’ poetry. Langston Hughes died of prostate cancer on May 22, 1967. The glaring inequalities Hughes experienced throughout his lifetime became the subject of many of his poems.
In this essay I will be arguing how Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou similar writing styles affected their community and brought to light a positive way of thinking. Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, and novelist from Missouri. Hughes played an influential role in the Harlem Renaissance era. Hughes was known for being conscious and it echoed in his work. He used music as well as imagery to tell the world the struggles that African-Americans endure in their era. Hughes poems told stories that were relatable and reflected his community. Maya Angelou was an American poet, actress, civil rights activist, along with many other things. As a civil rights activist, Angelou worked alongside with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and