The Life and Works of Langston Hughes Essay -- essays research papers

The Life and Works of Langston Hughes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å" In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone, I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan – Ain’t got nobody all in this world, Ain’t got nobody but ma self. I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’ and put ma troubles on the shelf.† The above excerpt is from Langston Hughes prize winning poem, â€Å"The Weary Blues.† Hughes, considered to be one of the world’s outstanding authors of the twentieth century (Ruley 148), is a prolific poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, autobiographer, and a writer a of children’s books (Andrews, Foster, Harris 368). David Nicholson says of Hughes, â€Å"He strove to reflect an American reality ignored or distorted by other American writers (504).† The magnificent poet dealt with many struggles in his life and was criticized by many critics for the poem, â€Å"The Weary Blues†, as well as his other works. The lyricist overcame this scrutiny and his struggles, to become a successful, talented writer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Langston Hughes, of French, Indian, and African decent, was born in Joplin, Missouri, on February 1, 1902 (Andrews, Foster, Harris 368). His parents, Carrie and James Langston, were not apart of Hughes’ childhood. Carrie Langston was a small town debutante; she left her son with his grandmother to go live in Kansas City to pursue an acting career (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). As for his father, James Langston, a mixed, cold, man who detested blacks, ran off to Mexico (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). Hughes loved his mother hopelessly and yearned to be with her (Rampersad 4) but his mother showed no interest to be with her son (Bloom, Bloom’s 12). On the contrary, he vigorously loathed his â€Å"runaway† father (Rampersad 4). Without parents, his maternal grandmother, Mary Langston, in Lawrence Kansas raised the writer of verse (Andrews, Foster, Harris 369). Mary’s first husband rode with John Brown on the attack of Harper’s Ferry in 185 9 (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). Her second husband recruited soldiers for the fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth Massachusetts regiment (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). Being married to two men who aided in ending slavery, Mary raised young Hughes on the stories of her family’s ancestors who fought to end slavery (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). From his grandmother he learned the need to struggle on behalf of the ideals of social justice and African American progress (Smith 367). The ab... ... evident. The lasting impact Langston Hughes had on society through the twenties to the sixties is still apparent today. Works Citied Page Andrews, Williams L. Ed.; Foster, Frances S. Ed.; Harris, Tardien. Ed. The Oxford Companion to African American Literature: New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Bloom, Harold. Ed. Bloom’s Major Poets Langston Hughes. PA, Broomall: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Bloom, Harold. Ed. Twentieth Century American Literature. Vloume 4. New York, New Haven, Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Hall, Sharon K. Ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism Yearbook 1986. Volume 44. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company, 1987. Marowski, Daniel G. Ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Volume 35. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company, 1985. Rampersad, Arnold. Ed. The Life of Langston Hughes: Volume 1: 1902-1941 I Too, Sing America. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1986. Ruley, Carolyn. Ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Volume1. Detroit, Michigan: Gale   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Research Company, 1973. Smith, Valerie. Ed. African American Writers. Volume 1. New, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2001. The Life and Works of Langston Hughes Essay -- essays research papers The Life and Works of Langston Hughes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å" In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone, I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan – Ain’t got nobody all in this world, Ain’t got nobody but ma self. I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’ and put ma troubles on the shelf.† The above excerpt is from Langston Hughes prize winning poem, â€Å"The Weary Blues.† Hughes, considered to be one of the world’s outstanding authors of the twentieth century (Ruley 148), is a prolific poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, autobiographer, and a writer a of children’s books (Andrews, Foster, Harris 368). David Nicholson says of Hughes, â€Å"He strove to reflect an American reality ignored or distorted by other American writers (504).† The magnificent poet dealt with many struggles in his life and was criticized by many critics for the poem, â€Å"The Weary Blues†, as well as his other works. The lyricist overcame this scrutiny and his struggles, to become a successful, talented writer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Langston Hughes, of French, Indian, and African decent, was born in Joplin, Missouri, on February 1, 1902 (Andrews, Foster, Harris 368). His parents, Carrie and James Langston, were not apart of Hughes’ childhood. Carrie Langston was a small town debutante; she left her son with his grandmother to go live in Kansas City to pursue an acting career (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). As for his father, James Langston, a mixed, cold, man who detested blacks, ran off to Mexico (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). Hughes loved his mother hopelessly and yearned to be with her (Rampersad 4) but his mother showed no interest to be with her son (Bloom, Bloom’s 12). On the contrary, he vigorously loathed his â€Å"runaway† father (Rampersad 4). Without parents, his maternal grandmother, Mary Langston, in Lawrence Kansas raised the writer of verse (Andrews, Foster, Harris 369). Mary’s first husband rode with John Brown on the attack of Harper’s Ferry in 185 9 (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). Her second husband recruited soldiers for the fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth Massachusetts regiment (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). Being married to two men who aided in ending slavery, Mary raised young Hughes on the stories of her family’s ancestors who fought to end slavery (Bloom, Bloom’s 11). From his grandmother he learned the need to struggle on behalf of the ideals of social justice and African American progress (Smith 367). The ab... ... evident. The lasting impact Langston Hughes had on society through the twenties to the sixties is still apparent today. Works Citied Page Andrews, Williams L. Ed.; Foster, Frances S. Ed.; Harris, Tardien. Ed. The Oxford Companion to African American Literature: New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Bloom, Harold. Ed. Bloom’s Major Poets Langston Hughes. PA, Broomall: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Bloom, Harold. Ed. Twentieth Century American Literature. Vloume 4. New York, New Haven, Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Hall, Sharon K. Ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism Yearbook 1986. Volume 44. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company, 1987. Marowski, Daniel G. Ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Volume 35. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company, 1985. Rampersad, Arnold. Ed. The Life of Langston Hughes: Volume 1: 1902-1941 I Too, Sing America. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1986. Ruley, Carolyn. Ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Volume1. Detroit, Michigan: Gale   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Research Company, 1973. Smith, Valerie. Ed. African American Writers. Volume 1. New, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2001.