Langston Hughes was often labeled the Poet Laureate of Harlem, particular because his poetry retained the rhythm, idiom, and dialect of his culture—a fact that often saw him vilified by those who viewed his honest expression as underscoring all the elements of black existence they feared and hated. In actuality, his poems deal with the painful and joyous aspect of black life equally and represent a virtual rhythmical photograph of originality from the perspective only an honest black man could give them. Hughes’ impact on black literature cannot be overstated, from his simple, direct and brutally honest poetry and influence in forming the Harlem Renaissance to his later career as a journalist championing human rights. Hughes was prolific, talented and versatile, able to write in any genre with equal ease and skill. Hughes was often an inspiration to other young black men, particularly writers because of his unique character, one that served as a beacon amidst the despair in society not as a call to arms to destroy it, “Hughes served as both an inspiration and a mentor for the younger black writers who came of age in the 1960s. With his rich poetic voice, nurturing generosity, warm humor, and abiding love of black people, Langston Hughes was one of the dominant voices in American literature of this century, and perhaps the single most influential black poet” (A Brief 1488).
Influenced as a boy by Carl Sandburg and Laurence Dunbar, discovered by Vachel Lindsay while employed as a busboy, and one of the most influential founders of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes was remarkable for more than his literary skills. Perhaps his most remarkable character trait in a racist society was his ability to fully enjoy being a black man. Hughes, more than many black artists, immersed himself in his culture, celebrated his culture, wrote honestly of his culture. He was often a champion of human rights and of other black writers becau...