Langston Hughes: One of The Most Important Originators and Exponents of African American Literature
Langston Hughes is often referred to as of one of the most important originators and exponents of African American literature. Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, on 1st February, 1902. After his father deserted the family Langston was brought up by his grandmother. At an early age he was introduced to the writings of William Du Bois. Du Bois was a well-known political activist in America in the early Twentieth Century and has been called the "father of Pan-Africanism" (W.E.B.Du BIOS is the father of pan-africanism who was his mentor). Hughes imbibed many of his critical views about racism and injustice in society from this figure. His interest in poetry was inculcated and influenced by the work of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman. In 1921 his poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, was published in Crisis, the journal of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP). (Spartacus International) He subsequently produced two vol
( Spartacus International) Hughes was a central figure in the development and success of the Harlem Renaissance. He has "known" these rivers as they are also the rivers of blood, heritage and tradition that flow through him as a Black man. One of his most quoted and anthologized poems is The Negro Speaks of Rivers; which is a prime example of his themes and the influence that his work had on his time. The river is used as an image and a metaphor of the timeless sense of generations of Black people that extends back to the origins of civilization. The Harlem renaissance refers to a period the 1920s and 1930s when there was a " flowering" or development of Black American literature and Black consciousness that was centered on the increase in self-identity and Negro cultural pride in the United States. I've known rivers:I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than theflow of human blood in human veins (Hughes) The extent of history and the reverence that he attaches to this image of the past is obvious from the above lines and is expanded on in the rest of the poem. Hughes' poetry is largely concerned with the exploration of Black awareness and with the theme of Black identity. umes of poetry; The Weary Blues (1926) and Fine Clothes to the Jew (1927). He also published two autobiographies: The Big Sea (1940) and I Wonder as I Wander (1956). As one commentator notes; "Hughes' success was partly due to his ability to effectively capture the essence of the black experience" (McElrath). (Harlem Renaissance) The idea of one's cultural roots was a dominant aspect in the search for identify and meaning in the Harlem Renaissance and was to form a central theme and focus in the writings of Hughes. The very first lines explore the African roots of the Negro history. The poem deals with the identity and heritage of the American Negro. This also refers to the depth of African heritage and the richness of African culture, as well as to the way that cultural knowledge and insight has been passed to each generation over the centuries.
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