Langston Hughes began writing poems as a teenager. Years later, he became a famous American author — writing poems, novels, children’s books, and plays. Hughes became one of the most important voices 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 teenager with his mother. He wrote for his high school newspaper and edited the yearbook. And he kept writing poems. He wanted to publish his work, but he had trouble finding people who were interested.
One train ride changed all that. After high school, Hughes took a train to Mexico to visit his father. As he crossed the Mississippi River, he was inspired to write a poem. In this poem, Hughes connected his experiences to the natural world. “My soul has grown deep like the rivers,” wrote Hughes. A magazine published this poem in 1921.
In the early 1920s, Hughes went to college in New York City. He soon explored the neighborhood of Harlem. The people and sights of Harlem inspired Hughes. “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 at the time. 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 from Harlem in his poetry. He combined poetry and a style of Black music called jazz. And he helped start magazines that supported Black artists.
Hughes even inspired other Black artists. For example, Lorraine Hansberry wrote a Broadway play, A Raisin in the Sun. Its title comes from one of Hughes’ poems, called “Harlem.”
Langston Hughes made his dreams come true by becoming a poet. In fact, he was always a believer in the power of dreams. “Hold fast to dreams,” he wrote in a poem. “For if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
Updated February 16, 2022, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Tyler Burdick
