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"The ultimate book for both the dabbler and serious scholar--. [Hughes] is sumptuous and sharp, playful and sparse, grounded in an earthy music--. This book is a glorious revelation."--Boston Globe
Spanning five decades and comprising 868 poems (nearly 300 of which have never before appeared in book form), this magnificent volume is the definitive sampling of a writer who has been called the poet laureate of African America--and perhaps our greatest popular poet since Walt Whitman. Here, for the first time, are all the poems that Langston Hughes published during his lifetime, arranged in the general order in which he wrote them and annotated by Arnold Rampersad and David Roessel.
Alongside such famous works as "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and Montage of a Dream Deferred, The Collected Poems includes the author's lesser-known verse for children; topical poems distributed through the Associated Negro Press; and poems such as "Goodbye Christ" that were once suppressed. Lyrical and pungent, passionate and polemical, the result is a treasure of a book, the essential collection of a poet whose words have entered our common language.
Spanning five decades and comprising 868 poems (nearly 300 of which have never before appeared in book form), this magnificent volume is the definitive sampling of a writer who has been called the poet laureate of African America--and perhaps our greatest popular poet since Walt Whitman. Here, for the first time, are all the poems that Langston Hughes published during his lifetime, arranged in the general order in which he wrote them and annotated by Arnold Rampersad and David Roessel.
Alongside such famous works as "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and Montage of a Dream Deferred, The Collected Poems includes the author's lesser-known verse for children; topical poems distributed through the Associated Negro Press; and poems such as "Goodbye Christ" that were once suppressed. Lyrical and pungent, passionate and polemical, the result is a treasure of a book, the essential collection of a poet whose words have entered our common language.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Langston Hughes has often been described as "The Negro Poet Laureate" and whilst this is more than justified, there is much more to his work than that even title implies. His language is direct and straight-forward without ever being over-simple, romantic but not sentimental. He rarely wastes words, poems such as Poem(2) "I Loved My Friend", "No Regrets" and "Suicide's Note" speaking beautifully, movingly and eloquently to all despite their brevity. The rhythms that run through his work are varied and affecting, always finely judged and moulded to the work, rather than the other way round. One facet that is easy to overlook is the sensuality that suffuses the poetry, from the "Make a song like that / with your lips" couplet in "Hurt" to the subtle warmth that caresses even poems such as "Dear Lovely Death". As a gifted and powerfully intelligent black man living in America, he could not help but be aware of prejudice and inequality, but he avoids simple finger-wagging in favour of more substantial representations. This beautiful edition (now also available in paperback) packs in all 860 poems published during his lifetime along with an excellent introduction, detailed chronology and genuinely useful notes. It is a pity there is not a proper contents list at the front, but other than that the edition is beautifully presented, making up for Serpent's Tails' shoddy printing of "Selected Poems" (which I bought this to replace). The portrait on the front is gorgeous. If you love poetry - then buy this book. If you love beautiful language - buy this. If you love people - buy this. It really is that good. And that important.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Langston Hughes is one of the most amazing poets of the 20th century. He is called the "Poet Laurete of the Negro Race." You can see his passion for writing through the beautiful poems included in this collection. "The Negro Speaks Rivers" is one of my favorite poems. Written in 1919 on the train to Mexico, it was the first poem that Hughes ever wrote. It is now a landmark in African American Literature as it marks the beginning of the Harlem Renassiance. Hughes poem "Harlem" touches me deeply. The opening line grabs the reader: "What happens to a dream defered?" Hughes knows his passion and used it to snag the reader, taking them to a world of rich culture and beautiful ideals.
Format:Paperback
Don't be fooled by Hughes' apparent simplicity. He delivers deep thoughts with direct messages, using the rhythmical models of blues and jazz. Race and class consciousness are only his most obvious themes, but there is much more under the surface. Read on and be moved by his delicacy, his desire for freedom, equality and real democracy.
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