Analysis Of Langston Hughes Poem, The Negro Artist And...

Collectors of poetry are bias. By this I mean that more often than not when poems are selected for collections, the works of classical writers will be prioritized over the works of newer or more untraditional authors. That is not to say that this is a bad thing, there is much that can be and needs to be learned from classical poets. However, it is often overlooked how much other, more unknown writers can contribute to the canon of poetry, especially those influenced by different racial and ethnic backgrounds. To demonstrate my point, in this essay I shall be discussing in detail Langston Hughes and his piece Poem and why it should be included in the Norton Anthology of Poetry. I will contrast and compare it with Christina Rossetti’s Remember, and back up my arguments with selected quotes from Langston Hughes’ essay ‘The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain’. To begin, Langston Hughes’ ‘Poem’ is an example of how few words can still hold a deeper meaning. Using repetition, punctuation, and free verse, Hughes crafted a poem that was elegant yet powerful in its simplicity. I loved my friend. He went away from me. There’s nothing more to say. This poem ends. Soft as it began- I loved my friend An American poet born in 1902 in Missouri, Hughes came from a family with a past closely tied with the fight against slavery in America. In fact, race in America was still to play a large role in his life, and be something that he had a very strong opinion on. And it may be forShow MoreRelatedThe Negro Speaks Of Rivers1548 Words   |  7 PagesLangston Hughes was an American poet, novelist, and playwright whose African-American themes names him a primary contributor to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. After moving from several cities, Hughes and his mother finally settled in Cleveland, Ohio. During this time, Hughes began to write poetry. One of his teachers introduced him to the poetry of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman, both whom Hughes would later cite as primary influences. By the time Hughes was enrolled at Columbia UniversityRead MoreLangston Hughes And His Harlem Dream1902 Words   |  8 PagesLangston Hughes and His Harlem Dream An explosion of written and artistic creativity, a time of social awareness and enlightenment among the black race. The Harlem Renaissance, originally known as ‘The New Negro Movement’, began after the first world war and lasted until the middle of the 1930’s depression. Harlem became a destination for African Americans throughout the early 1900’s as part of the great migration. As more blacks made Harlem their home, it increasingly became well known as an AfricanRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Weary Blues Essay1299 Words   |  6 Pagesone of many Langston Hughes’s poetry during the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance is a time in American history, in the cities where African Americans were concentrated like Harlem, many master pieces of art, music and literature were created. Blues was much enjoyed during the period; people listened to it and loved it. In the poem of The Weary Blues, people alive through music, and the strong power of music supported the suffering of the black people in that time period. The poem describesRead MorePoem Analysis On I, Too, Sing America 1611 Words   |  7 PagesDai Yueh Cheng Dr. Smedley English 1B 9 March 2015 Poem analysis on â€Å"I, Too, Sing America† In the poem â€Å"I, Too, Sing America† by Langston Hughes, he envisions a greater America, a more inclusive America where all the races can proudly represent themselves as American citizens. Hughes was a leader of Harlem Renaissance, and had tremendous pride of his race as an African American. However, during that time period, African Americans were being considered as second-class race, and they were being segregatedRead MoreBrief Summary of the Harlem Renaissance.1863 Words   |  8 PagesHarlem Renaissance Variously known as the New Negro movement, the New Negro Renaissance, and the Negro Renaissance, the movement emerged toward the end of World War I in 1918, blossomed in the mid- to late 1920s, and then faded in the mid-1930s. The Harlem Renaissance marked the first time that mainstream publishers and critics took African American literature seriously and that African American literature and arts attracted significant attention from the nation at large. Although it was primarilyRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance By African Americans1955 Words   |  8 Pagesmovement was poetry. Poems written throughout the Harlem Renaissance influenced the African American race to attain the American Dream by encouraging them to stand up and fight for the social and economic equality they deserved. A superiority of the influential poetry written throughout the Harlem Renaissance was created by a talented group of African American writers that were known as the Talented Tenth. This group was constructed of infamous writers such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and