The Life and Works of Langston Hughes Essay - 1971 Words

The Life and Works of Langston Hughes nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å" In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone, I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan – Ain’t got nobody all in this world, Ain’t got nobody but ma self. I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’ and put ma troubles on the shelf.† The above excerpt is from Langston Hughes prize winning poem, â€Å"The Weary Blues.† Hughes, considered to be one of the world’s outstanding authors of the twentieth century (Ruley 148), is a prolific poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, autobiographer, and a writer a of children’s books (Andrews, Foster, Harris 368). David Nicholson says of Hughes, â€Å"He strove to reflect an American reality ignored or distorted by other American writers (504).† The†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The â€Å"rhapsodist† was a exceedingly well educated man. While in high school, he read the poetry of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman (Bloom, Bloomâ₠¬â„¢s 12). Sandburg was decisive in leading him toward free verse and a radically democratic, modernist aesthetic (Andrews, Foster, Harris 368). Andrews states, â€Å"Hughes called Sandburg, his guiding star (368).† After graduating high school, eager to experience New York and especially Harlem, Hughes entered Colombia University in the fall of 1921 (Bloom, Bloom’s 12). However, his first encounter with college was unpleasant (Bloom, Bloom’s 12). Subsequently, he left his freshman year and became a merchant seamen in Europe and Africa (Rampersad 8). Plagued with money problems, Hughes came back to the United States in 1924 and began to take his writhing seriously (Rampersad 8). In 1926, at the age of twenty-four, Hughes entered himself into Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (Rampersad 8). It was during that time he published his first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, which was grouped according to seven romantic ideas, and sixty-eight poems under seven heading s (Bloom, Bloom’s 15). The volume earned him aShow MoreRelated Life and Work of Langston Hughes Essay1980 Words   |  8 PagesLife and Work of Langston Hughes Early Years 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’sRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Langston Hughes s The Road 1402 Words   |  6 Pagesin the literature work On the Road by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes offers a gift in this work which is to open the heart and life will provide unlimited abundance. During this literary analysis Langston Hughes uses nature to demonstrate his main character s unwillingness to participate in life. 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People migrated in record numbers, but just as the cultural aspects of Harlem prospered other walks of life in Harlem suffered dramatically due to the ever increasing population. Having developed a distinctive culture, Harlem was the epicenter for black writers, artists and intellectuals during the 1920s. The Harlem Renaissance was centered on activitiesRead MoreAnalysis of on the Road by Langston Hughes Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pagesfound in the literature work On the Road by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes offers a gift in this work which is to open the heart and life will provide unlimited abundance. During this literary analysis Langston Hughes uses nature to demonstrate his main characters unwillingness to participate in life. Another point that Hughes demonstrates is the use of anger and survival and how it can be used as a powerful force in breaking down racial barriers. One more impact Langston Hughes uses is Jesus ChristRead MoreLangston Hughes, An American Poet E ssay1583 Words   |  7 PagesJames Mercer Langston Hughes was one of the most influential African-American writers during the Harlem Renaissance. He was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri to James and Carrie Mercer Hughes. Hughes parents divorced shortly after his birth and his father moved to Mexico. Hughes went to live with his grandmother, Mary Patterson Langston in Kansas while his mother travelled back and forth with jobs. After his grandmother died he went to live with friends of the family, James and Mary ReedRead MoreRacism and Langston Hughes658 Words   |  3 PagesLangston Hughes was a great African American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist (â€Å"The Biography of Langston Hughes†). As a child, he grew up in the times of racial inequality. As a result, his poems often shared the recurring theme of hope, breaking free from racial inequality, and to strive for a better future. This theme was very evident in the poems â€Å"Drea ms† and â€Å"I Dream a World†, by Langston Hughes. This common theme is a result of the era Hughes grew up in. James Langston