Who Is Langston Hughes?

There are many different voices throughout the history of the English language, so many that it is hard to not be lost in the crowd. How does one raise his or her voice so that is will be not only heard, but also remembered? One has to speak in a way that is unique, yet relatable and understandable at the same time, but who the voice is speaking to can make all of the difference. Langston Hughes has one of the most unique and powerful voices that any writer has ever had because his works used Black folk and jazz rhythm and language, had universal themes and attitudes, and, most importantly, specifically spoke to the people and for the people. The use of jazz and Black folk language and rhythm made Hughes’s poems much more personal while also
Donald Gibson said that Hughes "has perhaps the greatest reputation (worldwide) that any black writer has ever had. Hughes differed from most of his predecessors among black poets, and (until recently) from those who followed him as well, in that he addressed his poetry to the people, specifically to black people” (“Langston Hughes”). Hughes desired to speak of and to Negros and there way of life. He spread his messages to his audiences with humor, yet still with seriousness, and read his poetry to possible more people than other poet in America (“Langston Hughes”). This desire to speak to the people is evident
David Littlejohn stated that “Hughes' [greatness] seems to derive from his anonymous unity with his people. He seems to speak for millions, which is a tricky thing to do” (“Langston Hughes”). An example of Hughes’s ability to speak for millions can be seen in his poem “I, Too.” The first seven lines of the poem read, “I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong.” Hughes is speaking for all of the Blacks who were enduring a time of racial prejudice. His used of the phrase “I, too, sing America” recognized the unity that Americans as citizens are supposed to have, but in this case is exposed the equality that some Americans were missing. This unified voice of the oppressed Negros was very moving, making readers not only listen to Hughes’s voice, but be inspired. In conclusion, Langston Hughes’s had a literary voice like no other. He could like the people, to the people, and for the people. Hughes’s use of jazz rhythm and Negro Folk language, universal attitudes and themes, and his addressing his work to the people and for the people make his voice incapable of being mistaken for anyone else’s. Readers heard, listened, and were moved to change the world around them and to keep on believing in