About Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance.Â
Born: 1 February 1901, Joplin, Missouri, United States
Died: 22 May 1967, Stuyvesant Polyclinic
100 Top Quotes by Langston Hughes in English
- “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
- “Life is for the living. Death is for the dead. Let life be like music. And death a note unsaid.”
- “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it explode?”
- “I dream a world where man No other man will scorn, Where love will bless the earth And peace its paths adorn.”
- “I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes.”
- “I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.”
- “Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free.”
- “Negroes – Sweet and docile, Meek, humble, and kind: Beware the day They change their mind!”
- “My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”
- “We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.”
- “I swear to the Lord, I still can’t see, why Democracy means, everybody but me.”
- “An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.”
- “Freedom is a strong seed Planted In a great need. I live here, too.”
- “I will not take “but” for an answer.”
- “Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”
- “Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.”
- “I’ve been scared and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered. Snow has friz me, sun has baked me. Looks like between ’em they done tried to make me Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’– But I don’t care! I’m still here!”
- “I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”
- “Democracy will not come Today, this year Nor ever Through compromise and fear.”
- “When peoples care for you and cry for you, they can straighten out your soul.”
- “I am so tired of waiting, aren’t you, for the world to become good and beautiful and kind?”
- “The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself.”
- “Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”
- “In all my life, I have never been free. I have never been able to do anything with freedom, except in the field of my writing.”
- “When a man starts out to build a world, And starts first with himself– The plains are laid–no need for levees, To keep the floods out–or straighter trees.”
- “I am so tired of waiting, aren’t you, for the world to become good and beautiful and kind?”
- “”I am America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes.”
- “I’ve been scared and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered. Snow has friz me, sun has baked me, Looks like between ’em they done Tried to make me Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’– But I don’t care! I’m still here!”
- “The sea is a desert of waves, A wilderness of water.”
- “Good morning, Daddy! Ain’t you heard The boogie-woogie rumble Of a dream deferred?”
- “Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.”
- “I will not take “but” for an answer.”
- “When peoples care for you and cry for you, they can straighten out your soul.”
- “I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course. Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I’m dead. I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.”
- “There are words like Freedom Sweet and wonderful to say. On my heartstrings freedom sings All day everyday.”
- “Negroes – Sweet and docile, Meek, humble, and kind: Beware the day They change their mind!”
- “O, let America be America again– The land that never has been yet– And yet must be–the land where every man is free.”
- “My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”
- “The dream we dream together is reality.”
- “When a man starts out to build a world, And starts first with himself– The plains are laid–no need for levees, To keep the floods out–or straighter trees.”
- “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it explode?”
- “I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.”
- “Negroes – Sweet and docile, Meek, humble, and kind: Beware the day They change their mind!”
- “I swear to the Lord, I still can’t see, why Democracy means, everybody but me.”
- “Democracy will not come Today, this year Nor ever Through compromise and fear.”
- “The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself.”
- “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
- “I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”
- “Freedom is a strong seed Planted In a great need. I live here, too.”
- “I will not be made unhappy or evil by the stupidity, blindness, or indifference of others.”
- “I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course. Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I’m dead. I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.”
- “An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.”
- “I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes.”
- “We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.”
- “My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”
- “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
- “All I want is equality, for my people to be treated like human beings.”
- “When a man starts to build a world, he starts first with himself.”
- “Oh, God of dust and rainbows, help us to see that without the dust the rainbow would not be.”
- “I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.”
- “I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.”
- “It’s such a Bore Being always Poor.”
- “My motto, as I live and learn, is: Dig and be dug in return.”
- “Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.”
- “I am the Negro, servant to you all. I will be patient. I will be dutiful.”
- “The only way to overcome is to hang in.”
- “Life is for the living. Death is for the dead. Let life be like music. And death a note unsaid.”
- “I’ve been a slave and I’ve been a prince. But before I see you again, I’ll have been everything.”
- “I am so tired of waiting, Aren’t you, For the world to become good And beautiful and kind?”
- “The blues is a tonic for whatever ails you.”
- “I do not know how long it will last, the racism and hatred of American whites for black Americans. But the day will come. And when the day comes, it will be the most glorious day the world has ever seen.”
- “An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.”
- “I am a Negro: Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa.”
- “The only justice is to follow the sincere intuition of the soul, angry or gentle. Anger is just, and pity is just, but judgment is never just.”
- “Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.”
- “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”
- “I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.”
- “Oh, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe.”
- “We know we are beautiful. And ugly too. The tom-tom cries, and the tom-tom laughs. If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn’t matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.”
- “I look at the world and see no understanding. I’m tired of hearing voices that only talk and say nothing. I’m tired of looking at faces that only know how to frown.”
- “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”
- “I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course. Tomorrow is another day.
- “There is never a time when new distraction will not show up; we sow them, so several will grow from the same seed.”
- “My seeking has been to explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America and obliquely that of all human kind.”
- “I am so tired of waiting, Aren’t you, For the world to become good And beautiful and kind?”
- “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it explode?”
- “I swear to the Lord, I still can’t see, why Democracy means, everybody but me.”
- “I swear to the Lord, I still can’t see, why Democracy means, everybody but me.”
- “We younger Negro artists now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased, we are glad. If they are not, it doesn’t matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too.”
- “I look at my own body With eyes no longer blind- And see that my own hands can make The world that’s in my mind.”
- “Negroes – Sweet and docile, Meek, humble, and kind: Beware the day – They change their mind.”
- “When peoples care for you and cry for you, they can straighten out your soul.”
- “I will not take ‘but’ for an answer.”
- “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
- “I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold.”
- “Life is a big sea full of many fish. I let down my nets and pull.”
- “Negroes – Sweet and docile, Meek, humble, and kind: Beware the day – They change their mind.”
- “I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”
- “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run?”
- “Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air, and you.”
FAQs:
Who was Langston Hughes?
Langston Hughes was an American poet, novelist, playwright, and social activist who played a significant role in the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s.
When was Langston Hughes born?
Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902.
What are some of Langston Hughes’s most famous works?
Some of Langston Hughes’s most famous works include the poems “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” “I, Too,” and “Harlem,” as well as the play Mulatto and the novel Not Without Laughter.
What was Langston Hughes’s writing style?
Langston Hughes’s writing style was known for its simplicity, clarity, and lyricism. He often used jazz and blues rhythms in his poetry and incorporated African American culture and history into his work.
What was the Harlem Renaissance?
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that took place in the 1920s and 1930s in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. It was characterized by a flourishing of African American art, literature, music, and culture.
Was Langston Hughes involved in social activism?
Yes, Langston Hughes was involved in social activism and was a strong advocate for civil rights and racial equality. He used his writing to address issues of discrimination, segregation, and poverty.
Did Langston Hughes receive any awards or honors for his writing?
Yes, Langston Hughes received numerous awards and honors for his writing, including the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP in 1960 and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in 1954.
Did Langston Hughes travel extensively?
Yes, Langston Hughes traveled extensively throughout his life, visiting countries such as Mexico, France, Italy, and the Soviet Union. His travels inspired much of his writing.
What was Langston Hughes’s relationship with jazz music?
Langston Hughes had a deep love for jazz music and was inspired by its rhythms and improvisation. He often incorporated jazz into his poetry and collaborated with jazz musicians such as Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus.
When did Langston Hughes die?
Langston Hughes died on May 22, 1967, at the age of 65.
