This week: Langston Hughes Edited by: lilli_in_fl
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Quotes by Langston Hughes:
Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it.
I swear to the Lord, I still can't see, why Democracy means, everybody but me. |
Langston Hughes
February 1, 1901 - May 22, 1967
The titles “Poet Laureate of Harlem” and “Poet Laureate of the Negro Race” were often applied to Langston Hughes, the first African American to earn a living as a writer and a shining star of the Harlem Renaissance. His name still looms large in American culture a half-century after his passing, because of his groundbreaking and influential chronicles of African American life and experiences.
Hughes’ poetry often mimics the rhythms of blues and jazz. It employs the simple, direct speech of daily Black life. This language style was not always well-received, especially by some members of the Black intelligentsia. They sought to distance themselves from the plain speech of regular people while Hughes embraced it fully.
With his father in another country and his mother absent for long periods of his childhood, Hughes drew his earliest inspiration from his grandmother. The first Black woman to attend Oberlin College in Ohio, and the widow of one of John Brown’s abolitionist partners, Mary Langston relayed her gift for storytelling through tales of slavery, heroism, and family heritage. Young Langston saw his grandmother rent out her living space to earn money and dedicate her meager funds to his proper clothing and feeding. One of his earliest published poems, “Aunt Sue’s Stories,” is a tribute, in the opinion of many, to the proud woman, his grandmother, who shaped his early life.
Among his best-known poems are:
Dreams
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Theme for English B
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| | | The Pipeline. (E) Collective thoughts on the eternal black known as death. |
| | | Scribes (ASR) blackbirds, quills, now ebon ink... thoughts take flight. |
| | | Pay Attention (E) A poem about pressures of holding on to moments, or letting go. |
| | | Re-entry (E) A poem for the International Space Station's homecoming. |
| | Sunflowers (E) A poem for kids. It's about sunflowers, strangely enough. |
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Comment from my last newsletter, "Emily Dickinson" "
oldmonty said,
"A good synopsis of the life of Emily Dickinson."
 Thank you, Monty!
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Poetry: June 11, 2025 Issue [#13174]
