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Selected Poems (Paperback)

by Langston Hughes (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 298 pages
  • Publisher: Serpent's Tail; New edition edition (1 Jun 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1852421274
  • ISBN-13: 978-1852421274
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 41,872 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #39 in  Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Poetry > By Period > 20th Century

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Product Description

Product Description

For over 40 years, until his death in 1967, Langston Hughes captured in his poetry the lives of black people in the USA. Selected Poems is made up of Hughes' own choice of his poetry, published first in 1959. It includes all of Hughes' best known poems including 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers', 'The Weary Blues', 'Song for Billie Holiday', 'Black Maria', 'Magnolia Flowers', 'Lunch in a Jim Crow Car' and 'Montage of a Dream Deferred'. With the advantage of hindsight, it is now easy to see that - for his poems, his jazz lyrics, and his prose - Langston Hughes was one of the great artists of the 20th century.


About the Author

Langston Hughes was born in 1902. His first poem in a nationally known magazine was ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’ which appeared in Crisis in 1921. In 1925, Hughes was awarded the first Prize for Poetry by Opportunity magazines for his poem ‘The Weary Blue’ which gave its title to his first book of poems, published in 1926. He wrote poetry, short stories, song lyrics, essays, humour and plays, and an autobiography, The Big Sea.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterly exponent of passionate, lyrical poetry, 10 Feb 2002
By A Customer
This selection of Langston Hughes' poems is not only a worthwhile (and modestly priced addition!) to any poetry lover's library, but should be considered essential reading for anyone interested in jazz, blues, hip-hop, rap, Black American history as well as anyone experiencing the highs and lows of being alive.

The speaker may be a gospel preacher or a brothel's madam, it may be a young girl anxious to rush out and meet her boyfriend at the corner of the street or it may be a woman worn down by the unending struggle to make ends meet while her man only wants to gamble or drink the money away. Whoever is speaking in the poem it is the authentic sound of that person and that time. One might imagine that this would make for a trite and banal repetition of cliches and general inarticulacy - so, what is it that lifts these poems from a mere record of everyday colloquial speech at a certain period in history to poetry that is memorable and holds universal appeal?

First and foremost it is because Hughes is a poet who observes keenly as well as compassionately (see 'The Litany') - he writes from the inside, but with the door ajar, and it is through that door that we come in, as readers from all different countries, ages and backgrounds. Is it only the accuracy of his vision that draws us in? No, we're enticed in by the music of his poetry as well. Nowadays in music we're familiar with the term 'crossover' - well, here is an early master of it, with the boundaries constantly merging between lyrical poetry and the poetry of jazz, blues and gospel music.

'A Dream Deferred' could have been written today for all its relevance to young people growing up in poverty and without the opportunity to realise even the most basic dreams. It has an insistent beat and message, but it does not descend into agitprop verse. It should be required reading for all politicians all around the world - but until that day comes, read it yourself along with the other poems in this wonderful selection. The music will carry you along and you won't regret it.

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