Harlam rennaissance and writers

Langston Hughes was one, if not the most, famous poet/writer from the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes wrote novels, poems, plays, short stories and many newspaper articles. The unique aspects of his writing were the subjects he used. He did not follow the norm because he chose not to write about famous and well-educated African Americans. Instead, he wrote about the average poor and uneducated people (Haskins, 1). Even so, he always wrote about them with the utmost respect and charisma. His subjects were often heroes and the very core of his writing. Langston Hughes used his writing to reflect urban life (Haskins, 23). He wanted to accurately display the energy of Harlem, being that it was the largest black community in the U.S.A. at the time (Haskins, 23). He wanted to show how full of life and pride the people were. The community was one of “music and laughter” (Haskins, 24). His writing was often a clear example of African nationalism. Though there was much sadness and alienation, Langston Hughes was always able to show that African Americans were not only the force behind a huge creative movement but they were also a people of strong individuality and togetherness.

One poem written by Langston Hughes was called “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (Lewis, 257). He wrote this poem one night as he was looking out of the window of the train car watching the Mississippi river go by (Haskins, 19). He began to dream about all the many African Americans who were forced to work alongside this river. He grew very emotional thinking about how hard these people worked knowing that despite it all, they would earn nothing and remain poor. The poem reflected the idea that African Americans were very much like the Mississippi river itself (Haskins, 20). Like the river, the African Americans are constantly on the journey and although that journey is often difficult they continue to go through it. “My soul has grown deep like the rivers.” shows that African Americans have been forced to long endure labor and inequality and yet they continue to live (Lewis, 257). There is an obvious sense of African nationalism and “black pride”. The poem discusses the many rivers that African Americans have had to work by. Each river represents slave labor, which can be interpreted as resentment. Still, the African Americans spirit cannot be broken. With years and generations of oppression, African Americans still kept focused. More importantly, some lines such as “I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.” show that Hughes found it very important to display the many achievements made by African Americans as well as their contributions to the world (Lewis, 257). It is amazing to witness a poem that directly reflects how an oppressed and enslaved people can produce such beautiful things. Langston Hughes wanted to show off his people as a unique and talented group. While each possessed their own identity, they were willing to sacrifice some of it to work for the greater good of their people. Another poem written by Langston Hughes is called “Negro”. This poem discusses the many roles African Americans have played throughout history. “I’ve been a slave”, “I’ve been a worker”, “I’ve been a singer”, all show temporary roles of the African Americans (Lewis, 257). He confronts the issue of slavery once again by mentioning the many jobs African Americans were forced to take upon themselves. Langston Hughes, again, mentions the building of the pyramids. Although the poem shows and outlines the pain that the African Americans went through, it also keeps strong a fundamental idea of his poetry and the Harlem Renaissance (Huggins, 9). The African American’s pride is simply impossible to ignore. The poem is celebrating African American culture and identity by saying that though African Americans have been many things through out the years, they will always say “I am a Negro” first. The poem

Some topics in this essay:
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