Langston Hughes poetry and social activist
Langston Hughes was an American social Jazz Poet, novelist and an activist who used American language, religion, music, slang to educate the globe about the lifestyles of American people at the times of Harlem Renaissance. The main theme that trolled in his poems were the social problems of the blacks who lived in low earning settings (Carl, 2004). Much of critique targeted the prejudices and the divisions that were common in the people of color within the community of the blacks. The poems were activist in nature as they dealt with how to be oneself issues and encouraged the blacks to join the knowledge that he had a song to sing encouraging the blacks to ask the questions like why them? One of his first influential works were the “the negro was in vogue” which was later translated to “when Harlem was vogue” (Hans, 2002).
Back in early school, Langston was a class poet elected by his teacher and the students as Negros have rhythm and they were two of such in their class. He wrote his first poem at high school entitled “When Sue Wears Red”. Hughes wrote “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain”, creating an impression of individual expression of the dark-skinned people fearlessly and without shame. He was the champions of the blacks. He asserted that when the whites were happy, blacks were happy too and when they were not, it didn’t matter for the blacks they didn’t care (Carl, 2004). He asserted also that the blacks were not ugly as they were perceived by the whites. Blacks built their temples for the better of tomorrow and stand at the peak of the mountains with freedom. His activism entailed lifting the theory of the aesthetic reality of the blacks through expanding their image, protesting social conditions and confronting racial stereotypes. Hughes diversified the beauty, culture and aesthetic of the blacks across the globe and his activist was a source of inspiration for the incumbent artists (Arnold, 1988).
Langston Hughes as a novelist and columnist
“Not Without Laughter” was one of his early novels that won a medal in 1930 (Hughes, 2012). The novel talked of a young boy who struggled for survival from a lowly earning family as well as strained relations with the whites. The white ways of white folks were one of the first published works with contents of the general pessimism concerning racial discrimination and the sardonic realism. He co-wrote other novels with other colleagues who articulated same issues of racial discrimination and the exploitation of the blacks. His writings of novels received appraisal worldwide as they stressed on racial integration and were considered a pride for the blacks. He also wrote about the young generation who loved him very much. He wanted the young generation to be objective about the black race (Sandra, 2003).
His novels and columns shaped the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance in 1920s and 30s. He did not differentiate the differences in personal experience from that of the whites unlike other black poets of that time. His novels reflected the culture of the blacks, sufferings, laughter and love for music. He wrote more than eleven novels with the most notable being “Not Without Laughter, Knopf, 1930” and “Tambourines to Glory, John Day, 1958” (Hughes, 2012).
He was summoned to write a column for the Chicago Defender, which gave him an opportunity to air his prominent works and give the voice of the blacks, a column that existed for over 20 years. In the columns, he talked about Jim Crow Laws, communists, segregation, and the treatment of soldiers, racism and the music influence. He also talked about how animals were mistreated during the World War I and the way they were starved to death. He loved all living things (Carl, 2004).
Langston Hughes' contribution to the Harlem renaissance and the critique of the Harlem renaissance movement along with its effects success and failures.
Harlem renaissance was a cultural movement that trolled between 1920s and 1930s, probably at the end of World War 1. Was famously branded the New Negro Movement. It was inspired by Marcus Garvey and encouraged the blacks in America to be proud of their race and celebrate it through art and literature. It brought drastic changes in visual art, literature, fashion and jazz music. Langston at this time outshined everyone in the field of jazz poetry, literature and activism. People migrated in fear of terrorism, debts and the poor living conditions (Emily, 2001). Many migrated to Harlem which became a background for the poor. Harlem was referred to as the center of literature, jazz music and art. Hughes wrote poetry about African-American culture from the love that he had for the place as it was his home. It was a terrifying place to be after the great depression. During this time, mainstream publishers and critiques to the issue of art and literature with more weight than ever before (Sandra, 2003). Hughes valued writing about children poems and one of his early publications in 1920 was the children’s magazine, “Sweet and Sour Animal Book”. Much of his poetry talked of the hardships, inequality, poverty and many more. In the poems “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “I, Too” wrote during this time gave light to that time when equality will be achieved and racism come to an end. He criticized the conspiracy of the blacks forcing to adopt the culture of the whites that weren’t theirs. He told the blacks to be proud of the culture and color. Langston Hughes wanted to instill hope and determination to the children and the young generation. The successes of the movement include the end of the great depression that had encroached many parts of America from the devastation of the war and equality was achieved and great personalities like Langston Hughes created a through pass for the other blacks to follow (Carl, 2004).
References
Bernard, Emily (2001). Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, 1925–1964, Knopf. ISBN 0-679-45113-7
Ostrom, Hans (2002). A Langston Hughes Encyclopedia, Westport: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-30392-4
Rampersad, Arnold (1988). The Life of Langston Hughes, Volume 2: I Dream A World. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-514643-3
West, Sandra L. (2003). "Langston Hughes". In Aberjhani & Sandra West (eds), Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance, Checkmark Press, p. 162. ISBN 0-8160-4540-2
Langston Hughes (2012).Not Without Laughter. Courier Corporation - Fiction - 224 pages
Steven Carl Tracy (2004). A Historical Guide to Langston Hughes. Oxford University Press - Literary Criticism - 251 pages
