The Harlem Renaissance was a great and powerful era in black history. Blues and Jazz flourished throughout the streets of New York, and young black artist began to arise an important part of this era had to be the inspirational writings of Mr. Langston Hughes. Born in Joplin, Missouri, Hughes was raised by his grandmother after his parents had divorced. He graduated from high school in Cleveland, Ohio and went off to Mexico to live with his father for fifteen months. While in Mexico, Hughes lived a very rural life and wrote many of his first poems which although never published began to distinguish him as a writer. He soon returned to home for a short period in 1923 before he joined the crew of the SS Malone bound for Africa. From there he visited many places including Paris, Venice and Genoa before once again returning to America, to live in Harlem, New York.
             Although it was not until 1926 that Hughes was officially discovered as a poet, he wrote many poems while still in high school. While working in Washington D.C. as a busboy, Hughes left three of his poems beside the plate of Vachel Lindsey, an American poet, who liked Hughes' poetry and helped him publicize his writings. Living in Harlem, he soon discovered the Culture and literary circle of the New Negro Writers. As best said by the Health Anthology of American Literature, "Hughes made the spiritual, blues and jazz the basis of his poetic expressions." Which in fact he did in some works such as The Negro Speaks of Rivers, and The Weary Blues.
             Most of his influences came from fellow black writers. Names such as, Dubois, Locke, Jesse Redmonfaset, Jean Toomer, Arna Bontemps and Carl Van Vechten, inspired Hughes in his form and writing style. His poems often portrayed the trials, tribulations, struggles and thoughts of a young Negro growing up in the twenties through sixties. His main goal was to concern about the treatment of African Americans in this country,...