One of the blues lyrics reads aint got nobody but ma self. A poem about the life of a poor boy, included in hughess debut poetry collection, the weary blues, and in the dream keeper, poboy blueslike a lot of the poets workwas written in a lyrical form. I had read collections of hughes poems some time ago but was largely familiar with him through his underappreciated autobiographical novel, not without laughter. The weary blues by langston hughes, hardcover barnes.
Droning a drowsy syncopated tune rocking back and forth to a mellow croon i heard a negro play. The weary blues is a poem by american poet langston hughes. The weary blues describes the performance of a blues musician playing in a club on lenox avenue in harlem. So begins the weary blues, a lyrical poem written by langston hughes, a leading contributor to the harlem renaissance movement, and one of the greatest and most prolific writers in american literary history. The weary blues is one of the blues poems written by langston hughes, one of the most imminent poets of harlem renaissance. Beginning with the opening proem prologue poem i am a negro. The collected poems of langston hughes book by langston hughes. Carl van vetchen truncated some of the poem in his introduction to the the weary blues, the first book by hughes. Down on lenox avenue the other night by the pale dull pallor of an old gas light. Black as the night is black, black like the depths of my africahughes spoke directly. The piece mimics the tone and form of blues music and uses free verse and closely resembles spoken english.
On todays program were going to sample some of the tracks of the weary blues, a recording from verve records. His first poem published in a nationally known magazine was the negro speaks of rivers, which appeared in crisis in 1921. Johnson on the front blank endpaper reads for josephine johnson, with sincere greetings langston hughes st. However, we know that he is involved to an extent in the jazz scene on lenox avenue. In 1925, he was awarded the first prize for poetry from the magazine opportunity for the weary blues, which gave its title to this, his first book of poems. It was awarded the magazines prize for best poem of the year. Black as the night is black, black like the depths of my africahughes spoke directly, intimately, and. Originally from the midwest, hughess one year at columbia brought him to harlem, new york at just the right time for a hip, young. Langstons love for black americans is evident throughout all his catalogue of work from essays, short stories novels, and plays as well as poetry. Hughes use of consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, and rhyme in the weary blues. Introducing langston hughes to the reader carl van vechten xxi. The weary blues 1926 was hughes 1902 1967 first published book of poetry and is the work of a young man of twentythree.
Dust jacket designed by the mexican illustrator and writer miguel covarrubias for langston hughess the weary blues 1926, a book of experimental poetry. Jun 03, 2014 the weary blues a poem about the importance of music and the blues in everyday life is a signature work of langston hughes, the harlem renaissance writer whose poetry helped change the way art created by african americans was viewed, and influenced the writers of the beat generation. The collected poems of langston hughes book by langston. Im joined by saxophonist and composer charles girard and by poet and multimedia performer holly bass. Black as the night is black, black like the depths of my africa hughes spoke directly, intimately, and.
Langstons love for black americans is evident throughout all his catalogue of work from essays, short stories novels, and plays as. The weary blues is among the first works of langston hughes and is a benchmark in history of africanamerican poetic history. It was published by knopf and has a total of 128 pages in the book. The weary blues quotes by langston hughes goodreads. A beautiful new edition of this beloved poets first collection, or. The weary blues can be read as a defense of blues music as art, but it is also a defense of itself as art. The weary blues quotes showing 16 of 6 the lazy, laughing south.
Langston hughes reads the weary blues jerry jazz musician. The weary blues a poem about the importance of music and the blues in everyday life is a signature work of langston hughes, the harlem renaissance writer whose poetry helped change the way art created by african americans was viewed, and influenced the writers of the beat generation. Nearly ninety years after its first publication, this celebratory edition of the weary blues reminds us of the stunning achievement of langston hughes. After graduation from high school, he spent a year in mexico with his father, then a year studying at columbia university. Who is the speaker in the weary blues by langston hughes. More about this poem the weary blues by langston hughes about this poet langston hughes was a central figure in the harlem renaissance, the flowering of black intellectual, literary, and artistic life that took place in the 1920s in a number of american cities, particularly harlem.
The weary blues langston huges by hanalei lewine on prezi. The weary blues in this classic poem by langston hughes we feel the pride he had in his people juxtaposed with the sadness he felt in the hardships they. By 1923, the twentytwoyearold langston hughes had traveled half the globe, dropped out of columbia university, and written some pretty kickin poems. Droning a drowsy syncopated tune, rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, i heard a negro play. The weary blues is about a piano player hughes knew in harlem. The weary blues by langston hughes poems academy of. Langston hughes spent a lot of time trying to write poetry that would be accepted as art, but not at the expense of abandoning his culture. Africanamerican poet, langston hughes recites his poem, the weary blues 1925 to jazz accompaniment with the doug parker band on the cbut cbc vancouver program the 7. Nearly ninety years after its first publication, this celebratory edition of the weary blues reminds us of the stunning achievement of langston hughes, who was just twentyfour at its first appearance. Mullen, hughes called the weary blues his lucky poem because it placed first in a. The weary blues by langston hughes poetry foundation. Signed langston hughes the weary blues first edition, 1935.
Black as the night is black, black like the depths of my africa hughes. The weary blues is one of langston hughes s blues poems. Black as the night is black, black like the depths of my africa. Langston hughes was just twentyfour years old when his debut poetry collectionthe weary blues was published in 1926. And as your eye bounces from line to line, you can almost hear the harmonica in your head. Complete analysis of the weary blues by langston hughes. Writing blues poetry can be inherently difficult and hughes was among one of the first to have toyed with this form. Weary blues also referred to as the weary blues is an album by american poet langston hughes reciting over jazz composed and arranged by charles mingus and leonard feather. Jan 20, 2007 the weary blues in this classic poem by langston hughes we feel the pride he had in his people juxtaposed with the sadness he felt in the hardships they faced and endured. The weary blues by langston hughes textual analysis. This performance takes place in a club in harlem, a segregated neighborhood in new york city.
The poem was included in hughes first book, a collection of poems, also entitled the weary blues. The weary blues poem by langston hughes poem hunter. The weary blues by langston hughes droning a drowsy syncopated tune, rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, i heard a negro play. It appears in the collection of poetry by the same name, which was published in 1926 not long after hughes had moved to harlem and immersed himself in the flourishing arts and culture scene there. During his lifetime, hughes wrote countless poetry, plays, short stories, and novels, and was known for writing about the struggles. Langston hughes the weary blues on cbut, 1958 youtube. The poem was written by langston hughes in 1925 during the harlem renaissance, a period of time when africanamerican artists. Feb 10, 2015 the weary blues 1926 was hughes 1902 1967 first published book of poetry and is the work of a young man of twentythree.
Feb 10, 2015 his first poem published in a nationally known magazine was the negro speaks of rivers, which appeared in crisis in 1921. May 11, 2015 so when writing a blues poem, hughess challenge was to take a seemingly simple musical form and show how it can speak to the fullness and depth of the human experience. The poem was written by langston hughes in 1925 during the harlem renaissance, a period of time when africanamerican artists, musicians, and writers enjoyed appreciation and. Writing blues poetry can be inherently difficult and hughes was. The poem was awarded as the best poem of the year by opportunity magazine where it was first published in 1925. Beginning with the opening proem prologue poemi am a negro. The poem meditates on the way that the song channels the suffering and injustice of the black experience in america. Written in 1925, the weary blues was first published in the urban league magazine, opportunity. Down on lenox avenue the other night by the pale dull pallor of an old gas light he did a lazy sway. Langston hughes poem, the weary blues, is no exception. The upbeat poem the weary blues is the first poem hughes won an award for unlike most of the poems of its time, this masterpiece does not have a strict rhyme pattern or outline, yet still. Apr 16, 20 africanamerican poet, langston hughes recites his poem, the weary blues 1925 to jazz accompaniment with the doug parker band on the cbut cbc vancouver program the 7 oclock show in 1958.
A poet, novelist, fiction writer, and playwright, langston hughes is known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in america from the twenties through the sixties and was important in shaping the artistic contributions of the harlem renaissance. Black as the night is black, black like the depths of my africahughes spoke directly, intimately, and powerfully of the. Langston hughes s the weary blues, first published in 1925, describes a black piano player performing a slow, sad blues song. Langston hughes handwritten presentation note to ms. Hughes blues jazz music is often associated with long, lazy melodies and ornate rhythmical patterns. Black as the night is black, black like the depths of my africahughes spoke directly, intimately. Carl van vechtens introduction to the volume gives a sense of hughes early life. The title of this book is the weary blues and it was written by langston hughes. The blues, a type of jazz, also follows this similar style.
Written in 1925, the melancholy poem is set in a harlem bar where a piano player plays the blues, and. The weary blues 9780385352970 by hughes, langston and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. After its publication, the book won several awards, and the prize money allowed hughes to complete his college education in lincoln, pennsylvania. But the weary blues is the first poem for which langston hughes got an award. The weary blues poem summary and analysis litcharts. The weary blues by hughes, langston and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. More langston hughes sign up for poemaday receive a new poem in your inbox daily. He achieves this in his famous 1925 poem, the weary blues, in which he tells the story of coming across a blues pianist playing and singing on harlems lenox avenue. The weary blues is one of langston hughess blues poems.
A very short introduction 2016 inspired me to revisit the poetry of langston hughes. The album was recorded in 1958 and first released on the mgm label. Black as the night is black, black like the depths of my africahughes spoke directly, intimately, and powerfully of. So when writing a blues poem, hughess challenge was to take a seemingly simple musical form and show how it can speak to the fullness and depth of the human experience. Langston hughes was born in joplin, missouri, in 1902. The speaker in the weary blues never reveals to us who he actually is. The poem was included in hughes first book, a collection of poems, also. The sound qualities that make up hughes work are intricate, yet quite apparent.
1351 1221 893 1469 1092 485 1503 242 418 1159 995 558 537 237 1346 1427 1023 1301 712 811 54 270 1128 214 271 1058 394 536 588 1148 1255 57 436 1332 1599 993 380 1138 426 707 1430 1115 873