Langston Hughes wrote poems as a teenager. Years later, he became a famous author — writing poems, children’s books, and plays. Hughes became an important voice of Black culture. And he changed American culture too.
Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1901 or 1902. He moved to Ohio as a teen. He wrote for his high school newspaper. And he kept writing poems. But he had trouble finding a way to publish his work.
One train ride changed that. Hughes took a train to Mexico. As he crossed the Mississippi River, he was inspired to write a poem. This poem connected Hughes’ experiences to the natural world. “My soul has grown deep like the rivers,” he wrote. A magazine published this poem in 1921.
Hughes went to college in New York City. He soon explored the neighborhood of Harlem. The people of Harlem inspired him. “I love the color of their language,” Hughes wrote. “Their problems and interests are my problems and interests.”
In 1926, Hughes published his first book of poetry: The Weary Blues. His writing style was different from other poets. He wrote honestly about the lives of Black people. Some thought this made his work less interesting. But Hughes wouldn’t change. “We know we are beautiful,” responded Hughes. “And ugly too,” he added. “We stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.”
His work paid off. He became part of the Harlem . That was a movement for Black culture in the 1920s and 1930s. Hughes also worked to represent Black culture. He used speech patterns of Black people in his poetry. He also used jazz in his poetry. That is a style of Black music.
Hughes even inspired other Black artists. For example, Lorraine Hansberry wrote a play, A Raisin in the Sun. Its title comes from a Hughes poem called “Harlem.”
Langston Hughes made his dreams come true. He always believed in the power of dreams. “Hold fast to dreams,” he wrote. “For if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
Updated February 16, 2022, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Tyler Burdick
