“The Weary Blues”
Life of Langston Hughes
Introduction and Thesis
Langston Hughes wrote this poem to express his feelings of what was happening in Harlem at the time. The poem consists of the speaker and an old black jazz singer. The speaker tells the story of the old black jazz singer and the pain he has endured. In this poem I will go deeper into the meaning behind the word’s that at first glance just looks like words but as you read it becomes a story of torture, sadness, depression and suicide.
“About the Author”
Langston Hughes was born James Mercer Langston Hughes born on February 01, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. As a child his parents divorced, and his father moved to Mexico because he no longer wanted to live in the America that existed at that time. (“Who Was Langston Hughes?”) From there his grandmother raised him into his teen years and passed away. He then moved in with his mother where they moved several times. During those times Hughes began his love affair for poetry and writing poetry. In 1921, Hughes attended Columbia University where he stayed for one year, and then took time off to travel. (“Who Was Langston Hughes?”)After leaving Columbia University in 1922, he worked several odd jobs, until he finally signed a contract to be a steward on a freighter that took Hughes to Africa, and through Europe. (“Who Was Langston Hughes?”) He ended his employment with the freighter in 1924 and lived in Paris to continue to work on his love of poetry. (“Who Was Langston Hughes?”) Later in 1924 Hughes returned to the states to dedicate more time to honing his craft with poetry. (“Who Was Langston Hughes?”) While working a job as a bus boy in a restaurant he met an American Poet named Vachel Lindsay, and he showed Lindsay some of his poems. Lindsay was very impressed and worked on getting him connections in the poetry world. One very important connection was to a novelist and critic of poetry, who was also impressed by the works of Hughes. (“Who Was Langston Hughes?”) From there he entered a contest for Opportunity Magazine which won him a full scholarship to Lincoln University where he later graduated from. Carl Van Vechten helped Hughes connect with a publisher who published his first poem “The Weary Blues”. (“Who Was Langston Hughes?”)
“About the Book”
This poem was written to put you in the shoes of the old black jazz singer. The poem dives into the suffering and how black people at the time found their outlet from this world of racism. (“The Weary Blues”) This poem was created to show how oppressed black people would find a way to express their feeling without repercussion. Many people would white and blacks would go to clubs to hear jazz music from the very people who have created racism in America. Lines in the poem, “Droning a drowsy syncopated tune”, has a deep meaning of the pain and the monotony of the life of the jazz singer. (“The Weary Blues”)
“The Legacy”
This poem is so influential because Hughes was never afraid to push the envelope to speak of the trouble that Black American endured in his time. He was the first poet to create his poems in rhythm with Blues Music, Hughes, Hughes was an innovator for his time and he still is today. His poems spoke of turmoil, such as “Ain’t got nobody in all this world, Ain’t got nobody but ma self, I’s gwine to quit ma frowin’, And I can’t be satisfied.” (Hughes) This shows the hurt the jazz singer feels and the fact that he has no one that he can get his feelings out to. The only outlet this singer has is through his music. “I got the Weary Blues, And I can’t be satisfied, Got the Weary Blues, And can’t be satisfied, I ain’t happy no mo’, And I wish that I had died.” (Hughes) This line in the poem express the deep depression and suicidal thoughts that the jazz singer felt. “The singer stopped and went to bed, While the Weary Blues echoed through his head, He slept like a rock or a man that’s dead. (Hughes) This line is a powerful line, it screams how this man felt every time he put his head to the pillow, he never knew if he would wake up the next morning or would this be the last thought he would ever think of. Hughes was never afraid to show the unattractive view of black life but when he did, he made his point loud and clear. Critics even stated, “nearly ninety years after his book first appeared, Hughes’s innovation still resonates with its rich lines and fascinating lives-the very liveliness it brought to the world.” The critic also stated, his poems, short stories, and novels were written, “in all its black, blues, and symphonic glory. (Hughes) Hughes was a pioneer is what was called the Harlem Renaissance, he was very vocal in the fight for equality for Black Americans. (Poet.org) Four decades that Hughes spent as a poet he wrote about suffering, love of music, laughter and language that Black American were best known for. (Poet.org) After Hughes had pass his home on, 20 East 127th St. Harlem New York was given landmark status and eventually renamed in honor of Hughes, Langston Hughes Place by the NY City Preservation Commission. (Poet.org)
Work Cited
“Who Was Langston Hughes?” Wonderopolis, wonderopolis.org/wonder/who-was-langston-hughes.
Hughes, Langston. “The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47347/the-weary-blues.
Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, poets.org/text/langston-hughess-weary-blues.
“The Weary Blues.” The Weary Blues | Modern American Poetry, www.modernamericanpoetry.org/poem/weary-blues.
