Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes had many influences in his life that is reflected in his work. Every author has a muse for hisher writings because heshe is inspired differently by a number of things. Influence and inspiration are relatively the same, they both affect a person. How that person is affected is the way heshe perceives and feels about it. Hughes was influenced by several things. One of which was a famous poet named Walt Whitman. Other things that influenced Hughes were racism, music, and ironically his own depression.

Langston Hughes was particularly inspired by Walt Whitman so much so that he took Whitman’s book, Leaves of Grass, with him when he traveled to Africa in the early 1920s , and edited a collection of Whitman's work in 1946. Hughes was first introduced to Walt Whitman’s work in his 8th grade English class. In Hughes junior year, he published his first poem in free verse, one that showed the clear influence of Walt Whitman for the first.

Langston Hughes was one of the great writers of his time. He was named the ?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 ?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).

James Mercer Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri February 1, 1902. He grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. His life was hard when he was young; his parents were separated with little money to go around, and he was very lonely. ?Po?......

The period of the Harlem Renaissance was a time of great change and exploration for African Americans . It was during this point in the early twentieth century that African Americans were exploring their cultural and social roots. With the rapid expansion of a cohesive black community in the area, it was only a matter of time before the finest minds in Black America converged to share their ideas and unleash their creative essences upon a country that had for so long silenced them. In the midst of this bohemian convergence, many notable figures arose who would give a new voice to African Americans. With such great notables as Countee Cullen, Jean Toomer, Zora Neale, and James Johnson, mainstream American now had a unique window into the plight of African Americans all over the country. One individual though stands out as one of the most prominent figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes defined himself by his ability to pursue the true essence of black folk.

Langston Hughes was a prolific writer. In the forty years between his first book in 1926 and his death in 1967, he devoted his life to writing and lecturing. Hughes was seen as one of the leaders in the Harlem renaissance, which was an unprecedented outburst of creative activity among African-Americans in the 1920?s. In 1951, Hughes published a volume of poetry titled Montague of a Dream Deferred in which his poem ?Harlem? can be found. This poem is one man's expression of his dreams during a difficult time period. As a black man in a time period where African-Americans were considered an inferior group of people, dreams and goals would have been difficult to realize. It is just as easy to relate this poem to dreams in general. Hughes opens this poem by posing the question ?what happens to a dream deferred??(1) In the lines that follow, Hughes uses aspects of imagery, simile and metaphor to unveil a picture in the readers mind.

In most peoples lives, there comes a point in time where their perception changes abruptly; a single moment in their life when they come to a sudden realization. In Langston Hughes Salvation, contrary to all expectations, a young Hughes is not saved by Jesus, but is saved from his own innocence.

Salvation is the story of a young boy who has an experience of revelation. While attending a church revival, he comes to the sudden realization that Jesus will not physically come save him. In the first three sentences of the essay, the speaker adopts a very childlike style. He makes use of simple words and keeps the sentences short, similar in style to that of an early aged teenager. But since the text is written in the past tense and the narrator mentions that he was ?going on thirteen? (181), we know the speaker is now older. After reading a little further, we find that the style becomes more complex, with a more select choice of words.

People always listen to music, watch movies or plays, and even read poetry