Essay on Langston Hughes Influence on American Literature

Langston Hughes was one of the great writers of his time. He was named the â€Å"most renowned African American poet of the 20th century† (McLaren). Through his writing he made many contributions to following generations by writing about African American issues in creative ways including the use of blues and jazz. Langston Hughes captured the scene of Harlem life in the early 20th century significantly influencing American Literature. He once explained that his writing was an attempt to â€Å"explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America† (Daniel 760). To fulfill this task, he wrote 15 volumes of poetry, six novels, three books, 11 plays, and a variety of non-fiction work (Daniel 760). He also edited over 50 books in his time (McKay).†¦show more content†¦The upper-class blacks shunned the lower class viewing them as being â€Å"embarrassingly vulgar† (Dickinson 323). Overcoming African-American prejudice was a major focus in most of Hughesâ€⠄¢ writing. For example, he wrote about the joys, sorrows and hopes of the black man in America (Dickinson 321). Not all of his writings were so encouraging however. Other themes Hughes wrote about include lynchings, rapes, discrimination, and Jim Crow Laws. He commented that when he felt bad, he wrote a great deal of poetry; when he was happy, he didn’t write any (Dickinson 321). At first, Hughes primarily focused on writing for a black urban audience; throughout time, he changed his focus to middle-class blacks, and then to the men and women of Harlem as â€Å"black masses†. Hughes ended up directing his writing to both whites and blacks of all classes. His basic philosophy, taken from the poem â€Å"I, too,† was as follows: Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, â€Å"Eat in the kitchen,† Then. Besides, They’ll see How beautiful I am And be ashamed— I, too, am America. Hughes was said to have written with a sadness for the events that oppressed him, and at the same time with a sense of optimism for a better world he knew would come (Dickinson 326). For instance, Hughes fought segregation in the armed forces by writing scripts and songs for various government agencies, typically without payShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Poetry of Langston Hughes During the Harlem Renaissance1694 Words   |  7 Pagesbackground provided by several institutions and facilities of the day. The anticipated plan for Harlem was for it to be known as the â€Å"place to be†, but due to the real estate market failure in 1904/1905, white-owned properties were rented to African Americans. A migration from the South and West Indies had allowed Harlem to become the cultural center of urban black America. 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