Langston Hughes (1902–1967)

The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes edited by Arnold Rampersad, Editor, and David Roessel, Associate Editor covers the poetry Langston Hughes wrote during his life. Hughes tackled myriad issues throughout his lifetime without apology. His language, though lyrical, is also often blunt and leaves little to interpretation though it invokes intense imagery at times. I felt a wide range of emotions as I read The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. The poems depicted a life I'll never life show more while offering insight into the reality of others in a way that forced me to think about my own existence in the world and how I interact with those around me. Authenticity rings through Hughes's work even when he paints moments that feel a bit fantastical. I took my time reading these poems because many are intense and require thought while others are lighthearted observations on life. I was, at times, surprised at how much punch some of Hughes's shorter works contained. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes reminded me how important poetry is to the narrative of our lives and history being made around us even in the moments that seem the most ordinary to us. show less

My People is a work that highlights and celebrates the people who identify themselves as African American/ black. Hughes's eloquent language flow very smoothly throughout the book and are both metaphorical and literal in meaning. He points to the beauty and uniqueness of his culture/ identity and presents such ideas as being ones that are universal and applicable to anyone of any race, ethnicity, cultural upbringing, etc. Paired with Smith's photography, it also provides a first hand and show more real life perspective on his culture, making it something further to connect and identify with the viewer.
I think that especially as a person of color (Latina/ Chicana), I greatly enjoyed reading this poem. I believe that when any author and/or artist invests themselves into their work, it gives it a deeper meaning and is strongly conveyed and received. The fact that Hughes takes so much pride and is not ashamed of who he is or of his cultural "group," it sends a great message to young readers. Being able to see oneself as being part of a whole and as being a valid individual and seeing personal attributes and characteristics as being assets rather than burdens, is a powerful thing that should be part of ALL people's identity. show less

These may be short stories, but they are not short reads--nor should they be. Langston Hughes gives us a multi-dimensional look at racism through vivid characterization and writing that can be both acidic and tender. "Slave on the Block" looks at fetishization. "Home" and "The Blues I'm playing" should be required reading for music students--especially those studying the classical tradition. The final and longest story, "Father and Son" exposes the workings of classism and colorism, and is show more one of the most powerful short stories I have ever read. Throughout the book, questions of "home" and what that means seem to surface time and time again. This is one of the most important short story collections of the twentieth century, and is an essential inroad to understanding race relations in the U.S. show less

"Let us take a knife / and cut the world in two- / and see what worms / are eating at the rind"

There are many reasons that Langston Hughes is one of the finest writers in American history. He is an exemplar of power and even nuance within simplicity. He was criticized for writing "easy" poems simply because he didn't sound like the other highly educated (primarily white) poets of his time. To this today he is criticized for that, and called a communist radical for being an anti-capitalist in show more the early 1900s.

Don't listen to the critics. And don't coast off of Hughes's reputation: perhaps you've heard of his Dream Deferred poem, but that's not enough. Truly dig into his writing, and you will find an incredible collection of musings on the American experience of oppression, imbued with bitter patriotism and pained love for community. Hughes is a titan, who dominated his era and stands as possibly the greatest artist of the Harlem Renaissance era (which is saying something, given how much great art we got from that period).

One of the most fundamental struggles of analyzing American history is defining what America is. Is it the system that marginalized and killed so many? Or is it the masses of people who were marginalized and killed by it, fighting for something better? In other words, is America the institution of slavery, or is it the slaves themselves, who fought to be part of American society? Langston Hughes would tell you the latter, as he fought for black writers to be accepted into the literary canon. He succeeded. Langston Hughes is one of the peaks of American literature, and should be treated as such.

This collection is a goliath, there is no reason to read it cover to cover. But if you enjoy reading, pick it up, and every once and a while read through a few pages. There's enough genius here to last a lifetime. show less