What are some significant literary contributions of the Harlem Renaissance?
The Harlem Renaissance was a period in the early 20th century in which African Americans joined together in a movement that encompassed many fields. One such field in which African Americans expressed themselves at the time was through literature. The New Negro Movement gave rise to many writers who expressed diverse themes such as racial uplift, black identity, modern black life, as well as other themes. There were several influential writers at the time notably Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay among many others. The Harlem Renaissance had many literary contributions that helped the black community unite and express their new identity. Hughes and Hurston contributed to these themes through their various works of literature.
Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, MO. He began his literary career in the mid 1920s by publishing a collection of poetry. Hughes experimented with various literary forms for example, with prose, novel, poetry, as well as plays and children stories. He was one of the most influential writers of the time, he promoted themes like those of racial pride and the “everyday reality” of blacks in his works.1 Some of his influential work includes his poetry collections like “The Weary Blues” or his novels such as “Not Without Laughter.” According to Corey Hall, Hughes expressed the reality of the uneducated common black person with simple language.2 Although, Hughes received criticism for it he continued to write about these realities. Another of the many themes Hughes wrote about was the survival of blacks, he depicted the harsh economic realities they faced.3 Hughes expresses this theme in his poem “The Ballad of the Landlord.” Hughes spoke to the people of his time through his literary work with everyday language and these contributions are still significant today.
Not only was Hughes an important writer of the time, but Zora Neale Hurston is also a celebrated Harlem Renaissance writer. Hurston was born in 1903 in AL but moved with her family to Eatonville, FL an all black town.4 Hurston like Hughes also began writing in the 1920s. She also relocated to Harlem as the movement rose. Although Hurston wrote about similar themes as her male counterparts, she did so from a female perspective. This is interesting to note because the majority of writers at the time were male. Although Hurston began writing during the Harlem Renaissance, one of her most famous novels, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” is written slightly after the period. The novel involves a black female protagonist named Janie, it depicts her life and relationships. A theme of this novel shows how the black female protagonist is able to “taste freedom of thought and action” despite the men in her life.5 This theme was very controversial at the time because women hardly experienced what the protagonist did which Hurston expressed in her novel.
Hughes and Hurston are only two of the many influential writers of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance had many contributions in the arts especially when it came to literature. Many writers wrote about various themes like racial uplift, the new negro identity, and the hardships faced. These contributions are still significant and studied today because these literary works continue to be a source of inspiration.
Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, MO. He began his literary career in the mid 1920s by publishing a collection of poetry. Hughes experimented with various literary forms for example, with prose, novel, poetry, as well as plays and children stories. He was one of the most influential writers of the time, he promoted themes like those of racial pride and the “everyday reality” of blacks in his works.1 Some of his influential work includes his poetry collections like “The Weary Blues” or his novels such as “Not Without Laughter.” According to Corey Hall, Hughes expressed the reality of the uneducated common black person with simple language.2 Although, Hughes received criticism for it he continued to write about these realities. Another of the many themes Hughes wrote about was the survival of blacks, he depicted the harsh economic realities they faced.3 Hughes expresses this theme in his poem “The Ballad of the Landlord.” Hughes spoke to the people of his time through his literary work with everyday language and these contributions are still significant today.
Not only was Hughes an important writer of the time, but Zora Neale Hurston is also a celebrated Harlem Renaissance writer. Hurston was born in 1903 in AL but moved with her family to Eatonville, FL an all black town.4 Hurston like Hughes also began writing in the 1920s. She also relocated to Harlem as the movement rose. Although Hurston wrote about similar themes as her male counterparts, she did so from a female perspective. This is interesting to note because the majority of writers at the time were male. Although Hurston began writing during the Harlem Renaissance, one of her most famous novels, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” is written slightly after the period. The novel involves a black female protagonist named Janie, it depicts her life and relationships. A theme of this novel shows how the black female protagonist is able to “taste freedom of thought and action” despite the men in her life.5 This theme was very controversial at the time because women hardly experienced what the protagonist did which Hurston expressed in her novel.
Hughes and Hurston are only two of the many influential writers of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance had many contributions in the arts especially when it came to literature. Many writers wrote about various themes like racial uplift, the new negro identity, and the hardships faced. These contributions are still significant and studied today because these literary works continue to be a source of inspiration.
1. “Writer's and Artist's: Langston Hughes,” The Library of Congress, accessed April 11, 2014,http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/hughes/aa_hughes_subj.html
2. Corey Hall, “Langston's Legacy : Poet, Novelist, Lyricist and Playwright Honored by Admirers in Words and Music,” Hyde Park Citizen (2002): http://search.proquest.com/docview/367631223 accountid=10351.
3. Ibid.
4. “Myth and Dream: Exploring the Cultural Legacies of Florida and the Carribean A Local Legacy,” The Library of Congress, accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.americaslibrary.gov/es/fl/es_fl_myths_1.html.
5. Tim Smith, “Gleam Doesn't Glitter, but it Glows,” The Baltimore Sun (2012): http://search.proquest.com/docview/916605237?accountid=10351.
6. "James Langston Hughes," Red Hot Jazz, accessed April 15, 2014, http://www.redhotjazz.com/hughes.html.
7. "Zora Neale Hurston," Subtle Tea, accessed April 15, 2014, http://www.subtletea.com/zoranealehurston.htm.