Purging Thru Poetry

 Langston Hughes is a celebrated American Poet whom I could easily call one of the best poets of all time. 

Born in 1902, Hughes grew up with his grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas whose first husband participated in abolitionist John Brown’s raid of the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry in 1859.  Hughes’ grandmother instilled within him a strong racial pride that can be seen in many of his works.

Hughes began writing in school and was even nominated class poet in grammar school, something he attributed to the fact that he was black, “I was a victim of a stereotype. There were only two of us Negro kids in the whole class and our English teacher was always stressing the importance of rhythm in poetry. Well, everyone knows — except us — that all Negroes have rhythm, so they elected me as class poet.”

Langston Hughes held many odd ball jobs from bus boy to crewman on the S.S. Malone.  Only happy writing Hughes produced hundreds of poems, screen plays, and short stories. Best known for his poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers most of Hughes’ work can be identified with the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes’ home for most of his life.

Stars
by Langston Hughes

                          O, sweep of stars over Harlem streets,
                          O, little breath of oblivion that is night.
                                  A city building
                                  To a mother’s song.
                                  A city dreaming
                                  To a lullaby.
                         Reach up your hand, dark boy, and take a star.
                         Out of the little breath of oblivion
                                  That is night,
                                  Take just
                                  One star.

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