Langston Hughes Flashcards
Where and when was Langston Hughes born?
Joplin, Missouri, in 1902
Langston Hughes was a
Poet, playwright, writer of fiction, song lyrics, essays, autobiographies, children’s stories
Grandson of
ex-slaves
Ancestors were killed in
John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry in 1859
Father was a
“jack of all trades” – school teacher, law clerk, farmer, and more
Mother had inclination for the
arts – plays, dance, poetry
Father did not approve of interest in writing but agreed to pay Hughes’ tuition to
Columbia University
In ____ submitted “__________________” to the _____ and was published
1921
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers”
Crisis
Dropped out of school, worked odd jobs and began to travel where?
Europe, the west coast of Africa (Senegal, the Gold Coast, Nigeria, the Congo, Portuguese West Africa)
Moved to ______, ______ in __________, ____
Harlem, New York
November, 1924
Meets _________ who quickly arranges for a book contract for Hughes
Carl Van Vechten
First book of poetry
The Weary Blues (1926)
Langston Hughes was the first ____________ author to support himself through his writing – produced more than ___ books
African-American
60
Noted _______, _______, ________ as his primary influences
Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Carl Sandburg, and Walt Whitman
Literary style:
rich descriptions, eloquence, biting humor and satire; insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America
Portrayal of
Realistic black characters
Thematic concerns:
Race at the center of his work
Always sought to _____ to all Americans
Speak
On the larger issues of social, economic, and political justice, Langston Hughes was a _____ for those below – the underdog
Voice
Issues concerning
Black culture
His most famous fictional character is _________, nicknamed Simple
Jesse B. Semple
Uses ______ to protest and satirize the existing injustices
Humor
Finished his college education at
Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (1926-1929)
Accused of being _____
“Leftist”
He testified before _______ in March of ______
Senator Joseph McCarthy
1953
Traveled to Cuba, Haiti, Spain, China, Japan, the Soviet Union, Hawaii and most of the
continental US
Died at the age of ___ in _____
65
1967
Considered by many the ______ of African American letters
poet laureate (a poet recognized or acclaimed as the most eminent or representative of a country or locality)
