Langston Hughes: Poet of the Harlem Renaissance

Langston Hughes was born on February 1st, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. In the 1920s he was one of the most talented and prolific writers to emerge during the Harlem Renaissance, which was a revival of African American art and literature in Harlem, Manhattan. 

It was during the Harlem Renaissance that Hughes wrote one of his most popular poems, “The Weary Blues.” Like many of his works, this poem fused the rhythms of jazz, blues, and African American speech. His work often focused on the lives of poor African Americans, and in the 1940s he debuted one of his more popular characters, Jesse B. Semple, who was also known by the name Simple. Simple is described as a philosopher and an African American Everyman who would share his troubles in exchange for a drink. Though the character of Simple did not directly challenge racism, he illustrated the difficulties an African American man faces in a racist society and the quiet determination needed to overcome those difficulties. This theme can be seen in another of Hughes's popular poems, "I Too."

For decades, Hughes was the most popular African American writer in the United States. He was both a poet and an author, and he wrote short stories, novels, children’s books, magazine and newspaper articles, plays, and much more. In recognition of his work he toured Africa in the 1950s on behalf of the State Department, and in 1961 he was admitted into the exclusive National Institute of Arts and Letters. More recently, Hughes was featured on the postage stamp and on a Google Doodle. These more modern recognitions show that, though Langston Hughes passed away in 1967, his words still resonate with us today. To learn more about him, check out this book list that includes several works written by and about him.