Langston Hughes And His Significance As A

Black American And As A Poet. Essay, Research Paper

Langston Hughes was famous for his poetry, which helped to fuel the civil rights movement. His poetry also earned him fame but he still seemed to remain financially disabled. He didn’t get much recognition for his poetry until after he died.

Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri into an abolitionist family. Hughes hated his father and he was passed around between his different family members and family friend. Hughes began writing poetry in the seventh grade and when he graduated he was selected as the Class Poet. His father did not believe that he could make a living out of being a writer but he paid his tuition to college so his son could be an engineer. Langston continued to write poetry however and he dropped out of college with a B+ average.

His significance was shown when he became one of the leaders of a movement, called the Harlem Renaissance. It spawned a whole new age of thinking and development. He helped prove to people that he and his fellow Negroes were part of America and her spirit. His poems “I, Too” and “Dinner Guest: Me” talk of how he and his people are this spirit.

Hughes Black American roots and his sense of racial equality was what fueled most, if not all, of his poems. Growing up when Black Americans had no rights and had separate everything’s was difficult for any black man living then. But he turned his feelings into beautiful poetry. Hughes poetry helped a lot of people out. He inspired many people during the civil rights movement and he gave hope to others with his unique perspective. His poems tend to be about social injustice save but a few. His poem, “Ballad of the Landlord” speaks of racial injustice as well as the discrimination of social classes. The way the tenant speaks and the way the landlord acts shows that the tenant is not of the same class and the landlord could care less about the tenants condition.

Hughes was born in a time of great social injustice. He and many others was the spark that ignited the flame of the civil rights movement and the Harlem Renaissance. His poems inspired a great deal of people and his poetry is still a big influence in modern day society.

Bibliography

US History book. Some movie my teacher showed us in class. sorry, I don’t know the name of it.