Langston Hughes

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Langston Hughes

About Me

On this page you will learn how Langston Hughes lived and what influenced him to start writing and what kept him motivated. There are pictures, links, and facts to help you see the world from his point of view. I write about Langston Hughes because he influenced me to try to complete my ambition to become whatever I want to be when I grow up. Langston Hughes is a great motivator through his poems and stories. My purpose for creating this webpage is because I want people to get influenced and to share what I know about Langston Hugehs with everyone. My personal opinion about Hughes writing is that it touches my soul and makes me think about all the trageties and hurt in the world through his point of view.

A house in Harlem back in 1900's

Langston Hughes signature

Little girl in 1947 back in Harlem

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James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin Missouri. His parents divorced when he was a small child and was taken care of by his grandmother until he was thirteen. After the divorce Hughes father headed for Mexico. At age thirteen Hughes went to Lincoln, Illinois to live with his mother and her husband. It was that time Hughes started writing poetry. He spent a year in Mexico and a year at Columbia University. Langston Hughes found most of his words of wisdom and feeling from listening to jazz music. Langston Hughes was frinedly with everyone, rich folks, poor people as he liked to call them the "low-down folk." The low-down folks had the greatest influence, besides the world around him, on Hughes writing his poems. Hughes powerful poems re-lighted the spirits of people during the 'Harlem Renaissance' era. because he understood what people were going through and he added wisdom to the words eh put down, and that inspired the people.

He moved to Washington, D.C., in February 1924, Hughes first book of poetry, it was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926. Three years later he finished his college education in Pennsylvania, at Lincoln University. Langston's pwoerful words of wisdom are still enspiring and encouraging the minds of people today.

Quotes by Hughes:

"While in Washington, I won my first poetry prize...I wrote many poems...They always seemed good when I wrote them and, usually, bad when I would look at them again. So, most of them were thrown away."

"No woman can be handsome by the force of features alone, any more that she can be witty by only the help of speech."

"Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it."

" swear to the Lord,I still can't see,Why Democracy means,Everybody but me."

Look!! Langston signed it in 1933!

Wise question # 1: What is the Harlem Renaissance? The Harlem Renaissance started in the 1920's. More than a literay movement and more than a social revolt against racism, the Harlem Renaissance increased the unique culture of African-Americans and redifined African-American expression. This African-American cultural movement became known as "The New Negro Movement" and later as the Harlem Renaissance. African-Americans were encouraged to celebrate their heritage.

Wise question #2: How did Hughes participation in the Harlem Renaissance influence him as a poet and an author? His life and work were enormously important in shaping the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's. The Harlem Renaissance, which was the African American artistic movement in the 1920's that celebrated black life and culture. Langston Hughes was accepted as his vocation "to explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America."

My wise question: What is Langston Hughes famous for? He is famous for the poems and stories that he wrote. His words inspired Langston and everyone around. The world around around Langston Hughes inspired him to write and express his feelings and thoughts down on paper. He liked jazz music, the kind of music that was sad and depressing at times. It put him in some of the moods he expresses in his poems.

Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance started in about 1920 until 1930. It was a group of African-Americans expressing themselves through all fields of art. The movement was more than a literary movement and more than a revolt against racism. Between 1919 and 1926 one of the main factors for The Harlem Renaissance would be the great migration of African-Amreicans to the northern cities, such as New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

Do you know about Langston Hughes? Click here and put it to the test.

When I first read this poem (Juke Box Love Song) I was touched by the power the poem possess. I made the connections black. What connections did you make?

Juke Box Love Song (Was he in love)

I could take the Harlem night (Is the night bad?)
and wrap around you, (Who?)
Take the neon lights and make a crown,
Take the Lenox Avenue busses, (Are those busses popular? I have
Taxis, subways, been on a lot of busess.)
And for your love song tone their rumble down.
Take Harlem's heartbeat, (rythm? jazz or like a different beat?)
Make a drumbeat,
Put it on a record, let it whirl,
And while we listen to it play,
Dance with you till day--
Dance with you, my sweet brown Harlem girl. (Did he have a brown girlfriend? Or friend?)

I had a lot of connections with this poem. When I read the tittle I didn't know if he was in love or if someone or thing was. Was the night bad to walk at nights, did you always have to watch your back? Were the Lenox Avenue buses popular, did they run on Lenox Avenue? I love to dance and twirl especially in the wind. Did he have a brown girlfriend or was it like a close friend that was brown? I liked this poem. After I read the poem and then read the title I could understand why he called it the Juke Box Love Song . I would recommend everyone to read this and express there thoughts and how they feel afterwards.

Poem #2

I, Too, Sing America

I am the darker brother.
                              They send me to eat in the kitchen
                              When company comes,
                              But I laugh,
                              And eat well,
                              And grow strong.
                              
                              Tomorrow,
                              I'll be at the table
                              When company comes.
                              Nobody'll dare
                              Say to me,
                              "Eat in the kitchen,"
                              Then.
                              
                              Besides, 
                              They'll see how beautiful I am
                              And be ashamed
                              
                              I, too, am America.

Langston Hughes

My poems

Walk On By

Walk on by

when you see me here

For the sky

Is full of tears

No one knows what I see in you

For I keep it deep in my heart

One day I hope we can be

A couple of two

As we walk hand in hand,

On the beach of Honolulu

People want us together

When we both come around

To love and to hold forever

But no one knows what the future is bound

Walk on by when you see me here

But please do give a hug and say hi

For I want you to be my dear

In my Eyes

I wonder if they could

See the hurt in my eyes

As my stomach is tied in ties

My heart is bound

To the dirt bike sound

I want to run

My heart is in a stun

My feet are ready to flee

But my soul is enveloped with

The special key

The key that unlocks,

my families treasure

To find my closure

Then I remember the baby in

My mother

My life will now change forever

By Justine S.