Langston Hughes Impact On African American Poetry

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In the early twentieth century, African Americans came to upper Manhattan to celebrate the awakening of a new African American consciousness, which was due to many talented black citizens giving their rich contribution to American poetry. This time period of American poetry gave African Americans the ability to further their self-expression even so far as to let them express the aftereffects of slavery. However, James Weldon Johnson believed that, “The sooner they are able to write American poetry spontaneously, the better” (James Weldon Johnson 1050). Many African poets had a distinctive form of expression that was inspired from hardships and unfortunate circumstances that resulted from racism. This time period was shared with the Ku Klux Klan and other racial organizations that persecuted blacks. Alain Locke expresses that Harlem served as a “race capital” for not only poets, but also for other passions such as the African Businessman, Musician, Adventurer…etc. (Alain Locke 1050). Langston Hughes also portrays an abstract concept of this “race capital” that is upper Manhattan by stating, “I, too, sing America/I, too, am America” in his poem …show more content…

Despite all the persecutions, hardships, and tragedies, he still believes people are good and that one day he will be able to sit at the table with any company no matter the color of their skin. During this time period, it was common for black people to be “free”, yet still serve the white community without the ability to join them at “the table” instead. Hughes writes, “Tomorrow/I’ll sit at the table/When company comes/ Nobody’ll dare/ Say to me/ ‘Eat in the kitchen,’/Then” (1045). This is a scene where he lived as nothing but the help to the white community, hoping for the chance for them to see how beautiful he is, as “America”, so that they might one day let him sit at the

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