2. Background  Born 1902 in Joplin, Missouri  Grew up mainly in Lawrence, Kansas, resided in Harlem  Had a poor relationship with his father, his father hated Negroes which he didn’t understand  Enrolled in Columbia and published his first poem in The Crisis, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” which was edited by W E. B. Du Bois  Best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance  Interests revolved mainly around the neighborhood of Harlem  Enjoyed writing poetry

3. Background  Criticized men such as W.E.B. Du Bois for being overly inclusionary of European culture in order to be socially equal and respected by all colors  Tried to depict the real lives of blacks in the lower class  Denounced segregation of separate colored facilities  Influenced many foreign writers  First novel (1930), Not Without Laughter, won the Harmon Gold Medal for literature

4. The Negro Speaks of Rivers I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers. I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep. I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen it’s muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset. I’ve known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

5. Negro Servant All day subdued, polite, Kind, thoughtful to the faces that are white. O, tribal dance! O, drums! O, veldt at night! Forgotten watch-fires on a hill somewhere! O, songs that do not care! At six o’clock, or seven, or eight, You’re through. You’ve worked all day. Dark Harlem waits for you. The bus, the sub- Pay-nights a taxi Through the park. O, drums of life in Harlem after dark! O, dreams! O, songs! O, saxophones at night! O, sweet relief from faces that are white!

6. Interesting Facts  Some biographers today believe that Hughes was homosexual and that his poems included many homosexual innuendos  Died from prostate cancer at the age of 65  Ashes are in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem

7. References  Quick Bio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inP76rkYUso https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inP76rkYUso  http://www.greatblackheroes.com/entertainment/langsto n-hughes/ http://www.greatblackheroes.com/entertainment/langsto n-hughes/  http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/ rivers.htm http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/ rivers.htm  http://glc.yale.edu/contents-page-crisis-dec-1919 http://glc.yale.edu/contents-page-crisis-dec-1919  http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/ life.htm http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/ life.htm