Langston Hughes: Jazz Poet of the Harlem Renaissance

Introduce your readers to a stellar talent. There is no question that Langston Hughes was one of the brightest lights of the Harlem Renaissance. A true pioneer, Hughes was one of the first poets to draw on the syncopated rhythms of jazz and black urban dialect for his work, and it proved transformative for American poetry. With a looser lyrical style reminiscent of Walt Whitman, Hughes used his art to portraying the experiences, concerns, and consolations of black men and women. As a poet, playwright, and novelist, he was impressively prolific, leaving behind a body of work truly worthy of study and celebration.