Hughes’ Poetry
Introduction
Langston Hughes an American poet was born on 1st February 1902 in Joplin Missouri in the United States. Hughes was not only a poet, but also a social activist, playwright, columnist as well as a novelist. His works contributed immensely in ending racial discrimination towards African Americans in the US. Similarly, he was an active member and a leader of the Harlem Renaissance, which was a mythical movement centred in Harlem and it grew from black relocation and the development of Harlem as the leading black metropolitan area in the US (Hutchinson, n.d). Likewise, he also supported the civil rights movement which advocated for the end of legitimate racial discernment, marginalization, and racial exclusion in the US (Lynch, n.d). For that reason, this paper will discuss the impact of Hughes’ work against racism of African Americans, through Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement.
Part I. Historical Background of the Times.
Harlem Renaissance was a stage of the dominant New Negro movement that had initially developed in 20th century, which later on led to the evolution of the Civil Rights Movement in late 1940s (Hutchinson, n.d). The foundations of this movement were based on the migration of African Americans from rural areas to urban areas, and from the South to the North, this migration was termed as the Great Migration. Moreover, the movement was concerned with the intensely rising heights of literacy, and the creation of national organizations whose aim was to deprive African Americans of their civil rights. Emigrants as well as African American expatriates from the Africa and the Caribbean met in metropolitan areas such as New York and Paris and had a revitalising influence on each other thus leading to the “Negro renaissance” a greatly significant world-wide cast (Hutchinson, n.d).
Nonetheless, the concern of black custom coincided with efforts to express an American culture different from that of Europe. African American’s were now able to showcase their talents through different forms such as through music which included and Jazz and blues. Writers were now able to easily influence the metropolis with their literal pieces in spreading the African American culture within Harlem and other parts of the country as well. Black authors used this opportunity to reveal their truth of black southern experience, since in the early 1920’s white authors had dominated the artistry scene. Langston Hughes proclaimed in his philosophy that African Americans should produce a different “Negro” art in order for them to remain true to their culture (Hutchinson, n.d).
On the other hand, 1960s was an era where the use experienced a number of cultural changes. This was the period when the Civil Rights Movements was emerging owing to the fact that African Americans who had been discriminated by the society rose up and asked for equality and decency in the country (Lynch, n.d). The civil war which had been initially experienced in the country led to the abolishment of slavery, however, it did not stop discernment against African Americans. African Americans continued to experience the overwhelming effects of racism, particularly in the South. After constant discrimination from the Whites, African Americans felt the need for change in the country, hence they mobilized people together with many whites and commenced an extraordinary fight for parity that spanned for twenty years.
Part II: Using specific examples of Hughes’ work, show how the themes in his work changed from the Harlem Renaissance through the Civil Rights Movement.
Hughes frequently wrote poems which related to racism and what the African Americans were going through in Harlem Renaissance. For instance, “The Little Frightened Child” focuses on the theme of racism and fear whereby a little African American child from the South is afraid of attending a Northern school because of discriminated by white children, “A Little southern coloured child comes to a northern school and is afraid to play with the white… (Gruenthal, n.d).” The theme of racism and fear is depicted in the poem, as the child is not able to play with white children for the child feels discriminated. Most of Hughes works were majorly centred on the theme of racism and fear during the period of Harlem renaissance.
Even though Hughes was not an active member of the Communist party, he braced communism and also defended the USSR in the 1940s. He believed that capitalism was the root cause of social and racial problems in the US. During this period, Hughes poems shifted from racism, and were linked to revolution owing to the fact that he was determined to encourage African Americans to rally and fight for their rights during the Civil Rights Movement (Lynch, n.d). This consequently made him write the poem of “Song of the Revolution” whose theme was revolution, “Sing me a song of the Revolution Marching like fire over the world… (Gruenthal, n.d)” The poem would therefore encourage African Americans to stand for their rights.
Conclusion.
In conclusion, Langston Hughes immensely contributed to the end of racism and racial segregation through his work. Hughes used art as a means of encouraging African Americans to stand for what they believed was right. In addition, in the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes encouraged African Americans to maintain their culture in their art and not to adapt to whites culture. Lastly, Hughes also encouraged the African Americans during the civil Rights Movements to soldier on through his poems hence becoming the most influential author of his time.
Work Cited
Gruenthal, George. The Poetry of Langston Hughes: Revolutionary Democracy. 2010 Retrieved from: https://revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv16n1/hughes.htm
Hutchinson, George. Harlem Rennaisance: Encylopaedia Britannica Inc. Accessed November 26 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/event/Harlem-Renaissance-American-literature-and-art
Lynch, Hollis. The Civil Rights Movement: Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. February 26, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-American
