Selected Poems of Langston Hughes Book

4.5 stars

I've been interested in the writing of Langston Hughes for some time now. After reading Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, which included brief snippets of his writing, I added both this selection of his poetry as well as one of his novels, Not Without Laughter, to my growing list of books to read someday. I even recall my eighth-grader at the time sharing a piece of Hughes's poetry with me and decided if he thought it was worth pointing out, then by all means I must get my hands on a copy of one of his collections!

Born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri, Langston Hughes was one of the leading voices of the Harlem Renaissance. He was a prolific author, publishing numerous collections of poetry and short stories, novels, plays, non-fiction, and books for children. The influence of jazz and blues is evident in his writing, and his work is very accessible, written for the average person, not just for the scholarly individual. He wrote about working-class blacks in America and spoke to and about black people - their culture, their struggles, their joy, their music.

As part of Black History Month in February, I decided I was well overdue to begin my exploration of this celebrated poet. This particular collection is one which Hughes himself selected from his various volumes of published poetry. The poems vary in length, with some being quite short with just three or four lines. I rarely read poetry, but the beauty and the rhythms of his poems appealed to me immensely. I think the perfect way to experience them would be to hear them read aloud.

Of course, I can't finish this review without including a couple of my favorite poems.

Juke Box Love Song

I could take the Harlem night
and wrap around you,
Take the neon lights and make a crown,
Take the Lenox Avenue busses,
Taxis, subways,
And for your love song tone their rumble down.
Take Harlem's heartbeat,
Make a drumbeat,
Put it on a record, let it whirl,
And while we listen to it play,
Dance with you till day -
Dance with you, my sweet brown Harlem girl.

In Time of Silver Rain

In time of silver rain
The earth
Puts forth new life again,
Green grasses grow
And flowers lift their heads,
And over all the plain
The wonder spreads
Of life,
Of life,
Of life!

In time of silver rain
The butterflies
Lift silken wings
To catch a rainbow cry,
And trees put forth
New leaves to sing
In joy beneath the sky
As down the roadway
Passing boys and girls
Go singing, too,
In time of silver rain
When spring
And life
Are new.