James Langton Hughes is known as one of the most influential and realistic African-American authors of all times (Dace 8). His works still act as a mirror that reflects our society’s morals and opinions that are hidden behind skin deep façades. Born in 1902, to...
Langston Hughes was one of the most prolific writers of Harlem Renaissance era. Hughes’s works are best known for the sense of black pride they convey and Hughes’s implantation of jazz into his poetry. In 1926, Hughes wrote the critically acclaimed essay, “The Negro Artist...
In an essay entitled, “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” African-American poet Langston Hughes discusses the importance of creating a black voice in a predominantly white America. Hughes strived to do this in his own work, as he used the rhythmic styles of jazz...
Langston Hughes’ spectacular flair for poetry began on February 1, 1902 when he was born in the small town on Joplin, Missouri. Through Langston Hughes contribution to poetry, he truly inspired a generation of children and adults alike to follow the meaning in his poetry....
“Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly” This is one of Langston Hughes’ most notable quotes, which urges his audience to hold on to their dreams. Langston Hughes was one of the most famous and...
Langston Hughes, one of the world’s most famous poets, was known for his literary art and jazz poetry created during the Harlem Renaissance. He was a social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist who attended Lincoln University to study African American Life and History. “Thank You...
Introduction: Langston Hughes’ book written in 1958, ‘’Thank you ma’am’’ is set in Harlem New York during a time that New York experienced rapid population growth. It explores the effects of kindness and trust. Background: The story is about a boy named Roger. In the...
The story “On the Road” by Langston Hughes is one of hope. We see the main character Sargeant, go from being broken and looking to satisfy only his immediate needs, to the end of the story, being fired up! He has hope not only for...
Langston Hughes is a respected and esteemed African American Icon. His poetry and writing created a platform for black artists during the Harlem Renaissance, yet today he is one of the few underappreciated names in modern American poetry. Despite his pivotal role in the Harlem...
Langston Hughes’ story about Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones and Roger is a message about kindness, sympathy and trust. Set in the 1950’s, during the incidence between our two characters, Hughes demonstrates forgiveness, compassion and second chances. In “Thank you, Ma’am” Hughes conveys his message...
In W.E.B. DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk, he introduces two concepts which are key to understanding what life is like for the modern Black American. These concepts are: Double Consciousness, and the Veil. These two concepts are intrinsically linked; to understand Double Consciousness requires...
Born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri, Langston Hughes embodied the subtle status of African-American culture during his career as a novelist, poet, and scholar. Hughes was a unique poet, in that he sought to communicate the voices of black America and reflect the culture, lifestyle,...
In “The Weary Blues”, Langston Hughes uses negative language to create a generally discouraging atmosphere. The relentless dark imagery makes the reader overlook an underlying message, as the poem actually encourages its readers to push against any obstacles in their way. Rather than being beaten...
Specifically from a literary perspective, the Harlem Renaissance, also known as the New Negro Movement, is often treated as one of the most artistically prolific, localized movements in Western literature, which has produced such writers as Gwendolyn Bennett, Nella Larsen, Esther Popel, and Jean Toomer....
Raymond Smith once wrote, “Hughes attempted to integrate the two facets of double consciousness (the American and the Negro) into a single vision – that of a poet.” Langston Hughes, possibly the most prominent black American poet, incorporates these complementary aspects of consciousness into his...
A Mistake I Learned from “Thank You M’am” by Langston Hughes Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences + experts online Get my essay Making mistakes is an inevitable part of life. We are...
Why do we mourn humans, but not unrealized dreams? ‘Harlem’, a poem by Langston Hughes, is a lament for the lost dreams of African Americans living in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. Literally, the poem focuses on the decaying...
James Mercer Langston Hughes was a Harlem Renaissance leader who is revered to this day as a columnist, playwright, activist, novelist, and poet of incredible contributions to American literature, and he is now considered one of the foremost commenters on the Harlem Renaissance and a...
Introduction The play “Mulatto” by Langston Hughes deals with life in the south in the 1930s. During this time, the system of white dominance over the black race is absolute and uncompromisingly harsh. The play focuses on the father-son relationship between Colonel Tom Norwood and...
Langston Hughes’ “On the Road” takes place during the depression and chronicles a homeless black man’s search for a place to stay the night. This man, Sargeant, first attempts to stay at a parsonage, but is turned down by the Reverend. He then sees the...
Did an elder ever call you because of your behavior when you were younger? Or did you make a mistake and someone gave you a second chance? Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences...
Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He published his first poem in 1921. He attended Columbia University, but left after one year to travel. His poetry was later promoted by Vachel Lindsay, and Hughes published his first book in 1926....
Roger’s Transformation: Learning Through Compassion In “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes, a boy named Roger tries to steal a purse, but things don’t go how he expects. Instead of getting in trouble, he learns a life lesson from Mrs. Jones, the woman he tried...
In Langston Hughes’ shorty story collection “Ways of White Folks,” gifted, upwardly mobile African Americans often meet misfortune. On a cursory read, these fatalistic narratives seem to connote a disastrous, helpless fate for African Americans. Despite their oppression, however, his main characters continue to show...
Introduction Langston Hughes’ book written in 1958, ‘’Thank you ma’am’’ is set in Harlem New York during a time that New York experienced rapid population growth. It explores the effects of kindness and trust. A young boy snatches a purse from an elderly woman, but...
In the short essay Salvation by Langston Hughes, the author describes the time he was “saved” by Jesus. He goes on to explain how he was saved and when he saved and what his family thinks of him now that he is saved. He also...
Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences + experts online Get my essay Mrs. Jones: A Lesson in Trust and Respect You ever met someone who totally changed your view on life in just...
Langston Hughes was a poet during the time of the Harlem renaissance. He was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri where he lived with his grandmother until eventually moving in with his mom and her husband. In 1926, his first book of poetry was...
“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right path, the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” You do not have to steal to get everything you ever wanted. This is shown in the story Thank you,...
Through the short stories “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes and “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the authors employ many exceptional techniques to characterize both leading female protagonists. In “Thank You Ma’am” Langston recounts Ms. Louella Bates Washington Jones with primarily indirect characterization...
"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun?... Or does it explode?"
"I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers."
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly."
Date
February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967
Activity
Langston Hughes was an American writer who was an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance and made the African American experience the subject of his writings, which ranged from poetry and plays to novels and newspaper columns.
Works
“Dream Variation”, “Fine Clothes to the Jew”, “Harlem”, “Mule Bone”, “Not Without Laughter”, “One-Way Ticket”, “The Panther and the Lash”, “The Big Sea”, “The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes”, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”, “The Weary Blues”
Themes
Hughes, like others active in the Harlem Renaissance, had a strong sense of racial pride. Through his poetry, novels, plays, essays, and children's books, he promoted equality, condemned racism and injustice, and celebrated African American culture, humor, and spirituality.
Influence
One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the Negro was in vogue", which was later paraphrased as "when Harlem was in vogue."
Quotes
“Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it.”
“I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.”
“...the only way to get a thing done is to start to do it, then keep on doing it, and finally you'll finish it,....”
