The Poet
Hughes' poetry was influenced by the blues and jazz. He wrote of Harlem, life under the Jim Crow laws, the plight of African Americans, and the beauty and strength of his race. He wrote to protest social injustice, and he wrote to educate and entertain. He wrote for all people. In a talk to KU students in 1965 Hughes talked about his approach to poetry: "Some of the early critics, I think, quite aptly called me a documentary poet. I think one of the things even before I was conscious of what I was doing was an attempt to describe and document the Negro life, and create a bridge between Negro Americans and white Americans, and help us to understand each other."
("Life Makes Poet," April 28, 1965)

Poetry, A Magazine of Verse, 1926
Freedom's Plow, 1943
Poetry, A Magazine of Verse. A distinguished issue of one of the leading literary journals for poetry in the first half of the twentieth century. Included are poems by both Hughes and Countee Cullen. 1926

Freedom's Plow, Musette Publishers, first edition, 1943. In this lengthy poem, Hughes writes about Americans, both black and white, building a nation of liberty. On the verso of the title page is the following: "This poem was read by Paul Muni over the Blue Network on Monday, March 15, 1943,from 3:45 to 4:00 p.m., Eastern War Time."

Our World, 1947
Our World, October 1947.
The Weary Blues, 1926
The Weary Blues, 1926

The Weary Blues, published by Alfred Knopf, was Hughes' first book of poetry, appearing in 1926. Hughes was 24 years of age, recently returned from living in Paris, and working as a cook's helper on a steamer bound for Africa. At the time of publication he was a student at Lincoln University.

Carl Van Vechten wrote in his Introduction to the book:
" To the Negro race in America, since the day when Phillis Wheatley indited lines to General George Washington . . . there have been born many poets. Paul Laurence Dunbar, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Counté Cullen are a few of the more memorable names. Not the least of these names, I think, is that of Langston Hughes, and perhaps his adventures and personality offer the promise of as rich a fulfillment as has been the lot of any of the others."

Scottsboro Limited, 1932
Scottsboro Limited, Four Poems and a Play in Verse,
Golden Stair Press, 1932.

In 1931, nine African American youths were taken off a train in Alabama, jailed in Scottsboro, and accused of raping two white women on the train. A tense and controversial trial resulted in a life sentence for one, and death sentences for eight others. Hughes' publication reflects the outrage felt by many, and anguish over this outcome.

The Dream Keeper, 1955

Hughes published Dream Keeper, a collection of poetry for children, in 1932. A recording of him reading these poems was produced in 1955.

Masses, 1932 Masses, 1932

Masses, Toronto, 1932

This issue includes the poem "Good-Morning Revolution," written by Hughes while living in the Soviet Union. The poem was later cited by members of the U.S. House Special Committee on UnAmerican Activities, as evidence of Communist affiliation, for which he was wrongly denounced.
The Dream Keeper, phonograph, 1955
Hughes published Dream Keeper, a collection of poetry for children, in 1932. A recording of him reading these poems was produced in 1955.
Educational pamphlet, 1967
"Mayfair,"1958
This educational pamphlet, published in 1967, provides information about Hughes and his work. The photograph on the front was taken in Tashkent, U.S.S.R., in 1933.

Mayfair, August 1958. The poem shown here, "Merry-Go-Round," was first published in his book of poetry entitled Shakespeare in Harlem.


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