The-Harlem-Renaissance-and-Langston-Hughes

1TheHarlemRenaissanceandLangstonHughes2TheHarlemRenaissanceBlackliteratureflourishedinthe1920sintheNortheastpartofNewYorkCitycalledHarlem,aneighborhoodofpoorblackslums.Intheearly1920sAfricanAmericanwriters,painters,photographers,musicianscongregatedinNewYorkcity,startedmagazines,publishedanthologies,andpromotedthecreativeworkofthe“NewNegro.”Then,BlackliteraturedevelopedintoanupsurgewhichhascometobeknownastheHarlemRenaissance.3TheHarlemRenaissanceHereinHarlemBlackwriterswrotefreeofconventionalrestrictions,tosaywhattheywantedtosaywithouthavingtosufferanyoppressionbythewhites,withoutevenseeinganywhites.4AparadoxinthisupsurgewasthefactthatnearlyalltheBlackwritersintheRenaissancehadwhitepatrons.Theytriedtopleasethewhites,getpublishedbywhitepublishersforawhiteaudience,andgetpaidwellfortheirbooks.5Butgraduallytheycametotherealizationthatthiswasnotwhattheywanted,andthatthiswasnotwheretheybelonged.TheybelongedwiththeBlacks,andsomovedovertowritefortheBlacks.Asaresult,theymanagedtobuildacounterculture,abattleculture,aliteraturewhichreflectsthefeeling,theexperience,thehistory,andtheambitionsoftheBlackpeople.6ThemostimportantpersonintheHarlemRenaissancewasLangstonHughesknownasBlackAmerica’spoetlaureate,whoultimatelyoutgrewthemovement,anddevelopedintooneofthemajorBlackauthorstohelptomakeBlackculture.7LangstonHughes(1902-1967)HisLife----LangstonHugheswasborninatowninMissourionFebruary1,1902.Soonafterhisbirth,hisfatherabandonedthefamily,divorcedhiswifeandwenttoMexico,soHugheswasbroughtupbyhismotherand8HisLifegrandmother,whenhisgrandmotherdied,hismothertookhimfromcitytocity,lookingforwork.EventuallytheysettledinCleveland,Ohio,whereHugheswenttohighschool.HebegantowritepoetrywhichwasverymuchinfluencedbytheeminentChicagopoets,CarlSandburgandVachelLindasay,andheeditedtheschoolliterarymagazine.HethenwenttoNewYorktogotocollege,andheenrolledatColumbiaUniversityWhileheworkedasadeliveryboytopayhis9expenses.HesoondroppedoutbecausehespentmoretimeexploringHarlem,theblacksectionofNewYork,thanhespentonhisstudies.Hughestookajobasaseaman,muchasO’Neillhaddone,andsetouttoseetheworld.10HewenttoAfrica,heworkedasacookinParis,hewanderedthroughFrance,ItalyandSpain,doingoddjobs,andhecamebacktoAmericafullofideasforpoemswhichhewantedtowrite.HehadleftAmericawith$7inhispocket,andhecameback11withtwenty-fivecents.Heneededajobimmediately,andhefoundoneasawaiterinahotelinWashington,D.C.Byastrokeofluck,thepoetVachelLindsaycametothisveryhoteltoaddressaliterarygroup.LangstonHughesputthreeofhispoemsbesideLindsay’splatewhilehewaitedonhimattable.12Delighted,VachelLindsayreadthepoemstotheimportantliterarygathering,andnewspapersacrossAmericaannouncedLindsay’sdiscoveryofa“Negrowaiter-poet”.AliterarymagazineofferedhimascholarshiptoLincolnUniversityinPennsylvania,whichhegladlyaccepted.13Hepublishedtwovolumesofpoetrybeforehegraduatedin1929.LangstonHughes’spoetrywasanoutcryforjusticetoAmericanblacks.Inthe1930’shespentoverayearinRussiaandhevisitedblacknationsintheCaribbean,buthecamebacktoAmericaandjoinedtheCommunistParty.14WhentheSpanishCivilWarbrokeout,hefollowedHemingwayandwenttoSpainasareporter,writingabouttheblacksoldierswhofoughtFascismwiththeInternationalBrigade.LangstonHugheswasextraordinarygifted.HeestablishedNegrotheatreinAmericaalmostsingle-handed.15HewouldtravelbetweenHarlem,ChicagoandLosAngles,helpingblackactorstosetuptheatres,andthenwritingplaysforthem.Hewrotenovels,shortstoriesandhistoriesoffamousAmericanNegroes.Hewrotefilmscripts,operalyricsanddocumentsaboutblackmusicians.16HewrotehisautobiographyandhetranslatedSpanishandFrenchpoetry.Therewasnoliteraryformwhichhedidnotmaster,andhisinfluenceinencouragingotherblackwriterswasenormous.In1960,hewasawardedamedalasAmerica’sforemostNegrowriter.17Hediedattheageof65havingwrittenmorethan40books.Theseincluded7novels,6plays,2collectionsofshortstories,7booksforchildren,2volumesofautobiographyand10volumesofautobiographyand10volumesofpoetry.18HisStyleandPointofViewHughesoftenwrotehispoetrywithshortlinesandthestrongrhythmofjazz,whenhegavepoetryreading,hewasthepoettointroducemusicalbackgroundstoenhancethepoetry,anideawhichwascopiedbyotherpoets.Alwayswritingfromthepointoftheoppressed,heinsistedthathumorwasanecessaryweaponinhumanstruggle.19Hegrewincreasinglyangryandmilitantonbehalfofsocialjusticeforblacks,buthedidnotgiveintoviolencelikesomeotherblackwriters,suchasRichardWrightandJamesBaldwin.20HisMajorWorksItishardtochoosethemostimportantworksofLangstonHughes.Somerepresentativeonesare:1926—WearyBlues《疲倦的歌声》isacollectionofpoemsthatmarksastageinHughes’developmentasanauthor.Thepoems,likethebluesongs,aresadintone,describingthefactofhavingtoliveinaverycruelandoppressiveworld.21Butthereisnofightinthem.Merelydescribinghowthingsare,theyreadasifHughesweretryingtorelievehimselfandhisraceofamentalloadandtoachieveadegreeofreconciliationwiththewickedworld.221932—TheDreamKeeperCollectionsofpoemswhichexpressthedespairofNegroeswithsharphumorandself-control.1934—TheWaysofWhiteFolksisacollectionofshortstoriesthat