In hindsight he believed his poems helped others realize the injustices that all minorities had to face during this era. Langston Hughes was born February 1st, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. In the roaring 20’s he started writing professionally and was essential in portraying black life in America. Hughes grew up in a time of social injustice involving the treatment of minorities (specifically African Americans). As his career went on the Harlem Renaissance became a major movement in which he was essential to.
Langston Hughes was known for being one of the most favored, if not the most favored, African-American poet and short story writers of the twentieth century. He was commemorated for being a people’s poet, “his life’s work was about bringing people together socially, politically, and artistically” (Shawn Alexander, 42). Hughes was influential for writing about the everyday struggles, racial injustices, and dreams of the African-American men and women during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s. This period in history was a time of vast changes and explorations for African-Americans. He gave the people hope during a time when they needed it.
Poets Claude Mckay and Langston Hughes are both well known for their literary contributions to the Harlem Renaissance. Roughly spanning from the 1910s to the 1930s, about two decades, the Harlem Renaissance is pinned as the intellectual, social, and artistic explosion of African American culture. At the same time, African Americans were treated as second-class citizens and dealt with a common consensus of disdain from the white folk. Authors and poets during this time were determined to write on the sufferings and strengths within the black culture. Through literary works such as "America" by Claude McKay and "Freedom" by Langston Hughes, the struggles encompassing the black experience are realistically portrayed through reoccurring themes
At that time, in the United States, black people were still openly discriminated against and the notorious Jim Crow Signs were still used to continue to enforce the unjust segregation of the races. It was a time when Langston Hughes himself didn’t have the rights others of his race have today, he couldn’t vote, he couldn 't even take the seat he wanted on the bus. As expected he was dissatisfied with how things were run in his own country, and seeing the Soviet revolution in action in Central Asia sparked his interest. He was taken by what can be called in a sense the Soviet dream, where no man was discriminated
Mother to Sun: An Analysis “Mother to Son” is a poem written by African American author and poet Langston Hughes. Originally published in 1922, when Hughes was only 21 and just beginning his career as a writer, it was not until 1926 when it was republished with a number of Hughes’ other poems, in his book The Weary Blues that it gained widespread notice (Gates et al.). By that time, Hughes had become quite successful as a writer, especially in stories about African American culture, customs, and history (Gates et al.). Moreover, at that time in the mid-1920, African American culture was in the middle of a particularly production period known as the “Harlem Renaissance”, in which writers, artists, musicians, and intellectuals, including Hughes himself, had gathered together in the Harlem section of New York City actively communicated, competed and collaborated with one another to express what is was to be an African American in America. While Hughes’ work covered the range of African American social experience, one of his primary focuses was on exploring the how African American inspired and motivated themselves to carry on despite a mainstream culture, politics, and belief system that saw them as inferior, and worked in practice to continuously keep them oppressed (Gates et al.).
EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018. “Langston Hughes” by Carl Brucker attempts to explain the accomplishments Langston Hughes has had and who inspired his famous poem, “Mother to Son.” Langston Hughes won an Opportunity poetry prize, leading him to the publications of his other writings. Brucker justifies Hughes as not only a successful writer, but he also “used grant money to establish African American theatrical groups in Harlem and Chicago that produced several of his plays.” (5) After overcoming much criticism by blacks and whites, Langston Hughes influenced several generations of African American authors, and that is widely acknowledged.
According to different websites and the book, his birth place is either in New York City, Lexington Kentucky or Baltimore. His second wife Ida and close friend, who was also a part of the Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes, said that it was Louisville. While Cullen said it was New York, while he was in his literary fame. He was the son of Elizabeth Thomas Lucas, who died and his father was unknown. He was adopted by his grandmother and a guardian who later on died in the 8.
After World War I, in Harlem, New York, there was a huge splurge of African- American culture. The African-American culture induced literature, poetry, and philosophy. This movement criticized the way these African-Americans were treated by white Americans. During this time, Langston Hughes, a social activist wrote poems that portrayed the struggle of African Americans, showcasing their lives during the Harlem Renaissance, while celebrating their heritage. James Mercer Langston Hughes was born was born in Joplin, Missouri, on the 1st of February, and died May 22nd 1967.
Langston Hughes was influential in the Harlem Renaissance I’ll even go to the extent of naming him the “father of the movement.” Hughes literary work had a significant impact on African American literature during the Harlem Renaissance. Aside from the movement he brought life to Harlem. Most of his work centered around the neighborhood or make mention of it such as the notable “Harlem (Dream Deferred)”, “Night Funeral in Harlem” to “Theme for English B." Granted, African American Literature has only been a thing before the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes helped and gave prominence to black cultures during that time greatly paving the way for more Black poets and creatives.
Langston Hughes was one of the most influential figures during the Harlem Renaissance, which was a time when African Americans were finding their role in American Society. During this era some of the best jazz musicians to this day such as Count Basie, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong heavily influenced this movement. One of Langston Hughes poems, “Trumpet Player” portrayed how these musicians used jazz to express themselves and escape from the racial inequality at the time. Part I: Scansion and Analysis Trumpet Player is a short poem with a very moving and deep message. It is composed of six stanzas, the first four stanzas consist of eight lines, and the last two stanzas are comprised of four lines and one coda.