Langston Hughes is often considered a voice of the African-American people and a
prime example of the magnificence of the Harlem Renaissance. His writing does
embody these titles, but the concept of Langston Hughes that portrays a black
man's rise to poetic greatness from the depths of poverty and repression are
largely exaggerated. America frequently confuses the ideas of segregation,
suppression, and struggle associated with African-American history and imposes
these ideas onto the stories of many black historical figures and artists. While
many of them have struggled with these confines set upon them by American
society, Langston Hughes did not fulfill this historical stereotype due to his
personal wealth, education, and recognized success (Early 1). James Mercer
Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. His father,
James Nathaniel Hughes was a lawyer and businessman and his mother, Carrie
Mercer (Langston) Hughes was a schoolteacher. The dual income from his parents
appropriated him with funds that he used for his education and to begin his
poetry career (Langston Hughes 1). This was an advantage unknown to many black
Americans at this time. Hughes spoke of the poverty of the black people and
struggles that many went through in their lives just to make enough money for
their families to survive. Langston Hughes never greatly encountered this
first-hand. In "Let America Be America Again", he states "I am
the poor white, fooled and pushed apart". Hughes was never as poor as the
downtrodden he spoke of and was never "fooled and pushed apart"
(Presley 1). He also was fortunate enough to obtain a benefactor, which still to
this day is considered a rare blessing to aspiring writers. In 1929, he met
Charlotte van der Veer Quick Mason, a wealthy widow and for the next four years,
was financially supported by this generous woman (Langston Hughes 2). Again in
"Let America Be America Again", Hughes pleads "I am the man who
never got ahead, The poorest worker bartered through the years." In
comparison to the many African-Americans at the time who were, indeed,
struggling with financial burdens, Langston Hughes knew nothing of this
uncertainty he spoke of due to his benefactor. The images of poverty that Hughes
evokes through his poetry, contribute to the American notion of impoverished
black Americans since the days of slavery, however, Hughes' life was very
different from the notion he described (Early 3). At this time in history, many
Americans were illiterate, especially minorities. Langston Hughes was fortunate
to be able to read, and blessed with his talent to write. Due to financial
stability, Hughes was able to attend Columbia University and Lincoln University.
This level of study was seldom attained by African-Americans. Even though
Langston Hughes was highly educated for an African-American of the time, he
still used "black slang" and southern dialects in many of his poems.
In "Po' Boy Blues", he not only relays the thoughts of black
oppression through the factual words of the poem, but through the dialect used.
"Weary, weary, Weary early in de morn. Weary, weary, Early, early in de
morn. I's so weary I wish I'd never been born." Reading this evokes images
of slavery and the meager existence of poor blacks of the South, but Hughes was
not one of these. His own poetry tells the story of the repressed black
Americans, yet this also furthers the preconceived images in the readers mind
that the writer is, himself, a part of this life style, which he is not. Many
are born with the talent to write, but few obtain recognition, especially within
their own lifetimes. Langston Hughes' success was even more rare as he was
black. He was first recognized as a talented writer as early as 1915, in grammar
school as was published in his high school newspaper. In 1925, he was discovered
by Carl Van Vechten, and The Weary Blues was published three weeks later.
"I got the Weary Blues And I can't be satisfied Got the Weary Blues And
can't be satisfied- I ain't happy no mo' And I wish that I had died." -The
Weary Blues Even though Hughes continued to express the plight of the
underprivileged African-Americans, he became more famous and recognized as a
poet. The Harlem Renaissance flourished at this time and with it, Hughes'
poetry. The Weary Blues' rhythmic and lyric-like style was greatly influenced by
jazz music of the time. This connection between music and poetry paved the way
for future styles of modern poetry, specifically the beat poets of the 1950's
such as Allen Ginsberg (Tracy 2). Langston Hughes' poetry became so successful
as readers sought sympathy in their daily lives. Hughes "drowsy syncopated
tunes" evoked feelings of loneliness, sadness and other sentiments of the
downtrodden. His simple language and slow rhythm share with the reader more of
the "Weary Blues" feeling than the actual words in some poems (Cooke
1). In "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", Hughes states that "I've
known rivers ancient as the world and older that the flow of human blood in
human veins." This poem focuses on the history of black slavery throughout
the world. In his critique of the poem Onwuchekwa Jemie states that "Even
though this poem is a majestic reminder of the strength and fullness of history,
its author did not know of the oppression of which he spoke of." Langston
Hughes became recognized throughout the country as the poet laureate of the
black people, thus distancing himself further from the despotism of their lives.
Although Langston Hughes was a talented poet of his time and brought a new voice
and perspective to the world of poetry, he did not bring the vision of
experience with it. Many regard him as the voice of the African-Americans during
the Harlem Renaissance, yet he is the voice of an outsider looking in on the
world of black oppression.

BibliographyCooke, Michael G. Critique on The Weary Blues. 1984. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/weary/htm.
5/21/00. Early, Gerald. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. The Boston Book
Review. May 1995. http://www.bookwire.com/bbr/poetry/collected-langston-hughes.html
5/21/00. Jemie, Onwuchekwa. Langston Hughes: An Introduction to Poetry. 1976.
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/rivers/htm. 5/21/00. Langston
Hughes. Literature Online. http://www.longman.awl.com/kennedy/hughes/biography/html.
5/21/00. Presley, James. On "Let America Be America Again". 1963.
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/rivers/htm. 5/21/00. Tracy,
Steve, C. On "The Weary Blues." 1988. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/rivers/htm
5/21/00.