Langston Hughes Criticism
Langston Hughes, an enduring icon of American literature, was a pivotal figure during the Harlem Renaissance, a movement that celebrated African American cultural achievements. Revered as the "Poet Laureate of Harlem," Hughes's work is known for its jazz and blues inspirations, capturing the vibrant yet challenging experiences of African American life. His poetry and prose often delve into themes of racial inequality, the American Dream, and social justice, employing humor and colloquial language to resonate deeply with readers. This multifaceted approach is highlighted in Langston Hughes: Black America's Poet Laureate, where his poignant exploration of African American struggles is discussed.
Born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902, Hughes's career took off with the publication of his first poetry collection, The Weary Blues (1926), followed by his acclaimed novel Not Without Laughter (1930). His literary contributions reflect the enduring resilience of the African American community, a theme evident in his "Simple" stories featuring Jesse B. Semple. These works, praised by critics like Karen Jackson Ford, offer essential social commentaries on black life in Harlem. Furthermore, as Calvin Hernton articulates, Hughes's involvement with political movements and his protest poetry were integral to his distinctive literary style.
Hughes’s major works, including Fine Clothes to the Jew and Montage of a Dream Deferred, illustrate the aspirations and frustrations of black Americans, often through musical influences like blues and gospel. This integration is explored by Steven C. Tracy, who emphasizes Hughes's innovative style. Despite criticism for his portrayals of African American life, Hughes defended the dignity and literary value of his subjects, an affirmation echoed by Chidi Ikonne and affirmed by Tish Dace in her review of his collected poems.
Throughout his career, Hughes explored the complexities of race and identity, addressing these themes through various forms, including children's books, translations, and plays. His character Jesse B. Semple, highlighted by Julian C. Carey, exemplifies the resilience against cultural erasure. Stanley Schatt observes that Hughes's revisions reveal an evolving philosophical stance, while Cary D. Wintz stresses the significance of music in his work to address social justice. Short fiction, as noted by William Peden, offers nuanced portrayals of Black-White relations, promoting understanding and tolerance.
Langston Hughes's literary legacy, marked by a profound cultural and social impact, continues to resonate as a testament to the struggles and aspirations of African Americans. His examination of the American Dream's hollow promises, as seen in works like "Children's Rhymes" and explored by Lloyd W. Brown, underlines his critical engagement with societal issues. In Not Without Laughter, the theme of home, discussed by Baxter Miller, symbolizes the journey from innocence to experience, reflecting Hughes’s deep understanding of the African American experience. His work remains an essential part of the canon, celebrated for its honesty, resilience, and innovative use of form.
Contents
- Principal Works
- Hughes, (James) Langston (Vol. 1)
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Hughes, Langston (Contemporary Literary Criticism)
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The American Dream of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Presley looks at the theme of the American dream in Hughes's poetry, drama, prose, and nonfiction.
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The Black Woman as a Freedom Fighter in Langston Hughes's Simple Uncle Sam
(summary)
In the following essay, Dandridge explores the portrayal of women as active civil rights freedom fighters in Simple Uncle Sam.
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'Wondering About the Art of the Wanderer': Langston Hughes and His Critics
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Hodges explores the issue of consistency in Hughes's writing, and critical reaction to his work.
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Langston Hughes and His Critics on the Left
(summary)
In the following essay, Rampersad argues that the Leftist critics failed Hughes.
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Religion in the Poetry of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Culp asserts that Hughes's poetry emphasizes the diverse role that religion plays in the African-American community.
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'Midnight Ruffles of Cat-Gut Lace': The Boogie Poems of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Tracy analyzes Hughes's use of the boogie-woogie form in five poems from Montage of a Dream Deferred.
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Langston Hughes and Approaches to Modernism in the Harlem Renaissance
(summary)
In the following essay, Rampersad argues that Hughes's use of the blues form in his poetry places him in the modernist tradition.
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Dead Rocks and Sleeping Men: Aurality in the Aesthetic of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Beavers argues that Hughes's role was to amplify the voice of African Americans.
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Symbolizing America in Langston Hughes's 'Father and Son'
(summary)
In the following essay, Hubbard discusses Hughes's observations on the mulatto and the culture of race as depicted in the short story 'Father and Son.'
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Rage, Repudiation, and Endurance: Langston Hughes's Radical Writings
(summary)
In the following essay, DeSantis reveals the ways racial injustice and violence influenced Hughes's writings in the 1930s and 1940s.
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Langston Hughes in Mexico and Cuba
(summary)
In the following essay, Mullen argues that Hughes's experiences in Mexico and Cuba had a significant influence on his writing and identity.
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Heroic 'Hussies' and 'Brilliant Queers': Genderracial Resistance in the Works of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Borden examines how freely Hughes discussed gender and race relations in his works. In his writings, Langston Hughes explores the convergence of race and gender in Black men's and women's lives, questioning binary constructions of identity and exploring sensuality in relation to social change. These are the pages, as bell hooks suggests, that lay marked on bedside tables, that become worn with searching fingers, that represent something other than 'the Langston Hughes most folks read or remember.' They are poems and stories that deal with love among Black men and women, nature, romantic quandary, mother-daughter and father-son relations, friendship, and silences. In discussing Black male and female identity, Hughes speaks of the ways gender uniquely colors these experiences. He writes in a manner which could be described as genderracial, emphasizing how gender and racial identity are intertwined.
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He Heard America Jiving
(summary)
In the following review of The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, Taylor states that the quality of the poems is uneven but the book gives a clear picture of Hughes.
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A review of The Sweet and Sour Animal Book and Black Misery
(summary)
In the following review, Chambers discusses the appeal of Hughes's simple language and life experiences in three books for children.
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The American Dream of Langston Hughes
(summary)
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Hughes, (James) Langston (Vol. 15)
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The Blues Poetry of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Edward E. Waldron argues that Langston Hughes masterfully integrates the form and spirit of the blues into his poetry, reflecting Black American culture and themes such as despair and resilience, while also exploring potential sociopolitical dimensions in his later works.
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Langston Hughes's Jesse B. Semple and the Blues
(summary)
In the following essay, Phillis R. Klotman argues that Langston Hughes's "Simple" tales appeal to both black and white audiences through their narrative technique, artful character development, and universal themes, emphasizing Simple's role as a "race man" who critiques racial injustices while embodying the endurance and resilience characteristic of the blues tradition.
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'Even After I Was Dead': 'The Big Sea'—Paradox, Preservation, and Holistic Time
(summary)
In the following essay, R. Baxter Miller argues that Langston Hughes's memoir, The Big Sea, intertwines themes of paradox and holistic time, preserving a vivid portrayal of the Harlem Renaissance and its key figures while critiquing Hughes's withdrawal from personal engagement in his autobiographical narrative.
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Requiem for 'A Dream Deferred'
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard K. Barksdale critiques Langston Hughes's Ask Your Mama, highlighting its jazz poetry elements and thematic discontinuity that sometimes obscure its message, while also acknowledging the volume's vivid expression of social and racial injustices, and contrasts it with the more somber and direct political commentary found in The Panther and the Lash.
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The Blues Poetry of Langston Hughes
(summary)
- Hughes, (James) Langston (Vol. 5)
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Hughes, (James) Langston (Vol. 10)
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Jesse B. Semple Revisited and Revised
(summary)
In the following essay, Julian C. Carey contends that Langston Hughes's character Jesse B. Semple, from The Best of Simple, embodies the struggles of African Americans against white-imposed cultural erasure and illustrates the tragic yet enduring resilience amidst racial adversity.
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Langston Hughes: The Minstrel As Artificer
(summary)
In the following essay, Stanley Schatt examines Langston Hughes's extensive revisions of his poetry to reflect changing philosophical stances, refine language, and address sociopolitical issues, arguing that these modifications demonstrate Hughes's evolution as a serious Afro-American poet and highlight the enduring significance and artistry of his work.
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Langston Hughes: A Kansas Poet in the Harlem Renaissance
(summary)
In the following essay, Cary D. Wintz examines Langston Hughes's innovative use of Negro music such as blues and jazz to shape his poetry, noting Hughes's commitment to themes of racial identity, Harlem life, and social injustice, while also analyzing his contributions to the Harlem Renaissance and his exploration of black life in America.
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William Peden
(summary)
In the following essay, William Peden argues that Langston Hughes's short fiction is an enduring and influential portrayal of Black-White relations, characterized by a narrative style that is gentle yet serious, promoting tolerance and understanding in contrast to the more militant works of his contemporaries.
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The American Dream and the Legacy of Revolution in the Poetry of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Lloyd W. Brown argues that Langston Hughes' poem "Children's Rhymes" critiques the disparity between the American Dream's promise and the reality for Black Americans, using irony and the voices of children to highlight a heritage of exclusion and the potential for genuine societal revolution.
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'Done Made Us Leave Our Home': Langston Hughes's 'Not Without Laughter'—Unifying Image and Three Dimensions
(summary)
In the following essay, Baxter Miller argues that the image of home in Langston Hughes's "Not Without Laughter" serves as a unifying theme that operates on mythical, historical, and social levels, illustrating a journey from innocence to experience through the narrative of the Williams family's disintegration and eventual re-creation.
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Jesse B. Semple Revisited and Revised
(summary)
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Hughes, Langston (Poetry Criticism)
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Affirmation of Black Self
(summary)
The following essay, which appeared in Ikonne's From DuBois to Van Vechten: The Early New Negro Literature 1903-1926 (1981), focuses on the aspect of self-expression and race identification in the works of Langston Hughes.
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Turning into Love: Some Thoughts on Surviving and Meeting Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, the transcript of a lecture given by poet Alice Walker during the Langston Hughes Festival in 1989, Walker describes her relationship with Hughes.
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Langston Hughes: Black America's Poet Laureate
(summary)
In the following essay, Neal traces the major themes of Hughes's poetry.
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Do Right to Write Right: Langston Hughes's Aesthetics of Simplicity
(summary)
In the following essay, Ford examines simplicity of form and content in Hughes's poetry and short fiction.
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Langston Hughes and the ‘Other’ Whitman
(summary)
In the following essay, Hutchinson traces relationships between the works of Langston Hughes and nineteenth-century American poet Walt Whitman.
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The Poetic Consciousness of Langston Hughes from Affirmation to Revolution
(summary)
In the following essay, Hernton examines the lesser-known “protest” poems of Langston Hughes.
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On Langston Hughes: Pioneering Poet
(summary)
In the following essay, Dace offers an enthusiastic review of The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes.
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Langston Hughes: Poetry, Blues, and Gospel—Somewhere to Stand
(summary)
In the following essay, Tracy examines the influence of music—specifically the blues and gospel singing—on the poetry of Langston Hughes.
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Montage of an Otherness Deferred: Dreaming Subjectivity in Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Jarraway focuses critical attention on issues of subjectivity and identity in Hughes's Montage of a Dream Deferred.
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Literacy and Authenticity: The Blues Poems of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Chinitz credits Hughes with having invented blues poetry.
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Who Was Langston Hughes?
(summary)
In the following essay, Sundquist discusses the cultural influence of Langston Hughes as a result of his several decades of producing poetry, fiction, drama, autobiographical writings, and other works.
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Making Poetry Pay: The Commodification of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Ford examines the various ways in which Hughes acted as a “relentless marketer” of his work throughout a four-decade career.
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Jazzing It Up: The Be-bop Modernism of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Hokanson focuses on Hughes's Montage of a Dream Deferred to examine the influence of jazz on the structure and style of the poet's work.
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Shakespeare in Harlem: The Norton Anthology, ‘Propaganda,’ Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Walkowitz explores Hughes's employment of poetry as a means of social and political discourse.
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Langston Hughes: A Poet Supreme
(summary)
In the following essay, ya Salaam offers an analysis of Montage of a Dream Deferred to support his praise of Hughes as a prime innovator and creative force in the development of black poetry.
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Ezra Pound and Langston Hughes: The ABC of Po'try
(summary)
In the following essay, Gill discusses correspondence that took place between Ezra Pound and Langston Hughes from 1931 to 1951.
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Langston Hughes and the ‘Nonsense’ of Bebop
(summary)
In the following essay, Lowney discusses the emergence of bebop in the Harlem jazz scene and its relationship to the themes and rhythms of Hughes's Montage of a Dream Deferred.
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Jazz, Realism, and the Modernist Lyric: The Poetry of Langston Hughes
(summary)
In the following essay, Patterson examines the jazz poetics and the modernistic aspects of Hughes's verse.
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Affirmation of Black Self
(summary)
- Further Reading