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The Weary Blues
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
17 posts | 12 read | 8 to read
Nearly ninety years after its first publication, this celebratory edition of The Weary Blues reminds us of the stunning achievement of Langston Hughes, who was just twenty-four at its first appearance. Beginning with the opening Proem (prologue poem)I am a Negro: / Black as the night is black, / Black like the depths of my AfricaHughes spoke directly, intimately, and powerfully of the experiences of African Americans at a time when their voices were newly being heard in our literature. As the legendary Carl Van Vechten wrote in a brief introduction to the original 1926 edition, His cabaret songs throb with the true jazz rhythm; his sea-pieces ache with a calm, melancholy lyricism; he cries bitterly from the heart of his race . . . Always, however, his stanzas are subjective, personal, and, he concludes, they are the expression of an essentially sensitive and subtly illusive nature. That illusive nature darts among these early lines and begins to reveal itself, with precocious confidence and clarity. In a new introduction to the work, the poet and editor Kevin Young suggests that Hughes from this very first moment is celebrating, critiquing, and completing the American dream, and that he manages to take Walt Whitmans American I and write himself into it. We find here not only such classics as The Negro Speaks of Rivers and the great twentieth-century anthem that begins I, too, sing America, but also the poets shorter lyrics and fancies, which dream just as deeply. Bring me all of your / Heart melodies, the young Hughes offers, That I may wrap them / In a blue cloud-cloth / Away from the too-rough fingers / Of the world. From the Hardcover edition.
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BC_Dittemore
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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Pickpick

With The Weary Blues, Hughes reminds us that human thought is poetry; it just takes a certain skill or instinct to harness it.

Coming away from this I was amazed by how much joy and love for life there is. Despite all the hurdles for a Black artist, for Black people, in the first half of the 19th century, he seemed totally enthralled with life.

Also that cover! Is that not one of the most iconic pictures? I‘d love to have a reprint on my wall.

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IndoorDame
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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lil1inblue 💙🤩💙 6mo
dabbe 💙🩵💙 6mo
TheSpineView Great choice! 💜 6mo
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IndoorDame
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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TheSpineView 💙🌊💙 8mo
dabbe 💚💙💚 8mo
41 likes3 comments
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IndoorDame
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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TheSpineView Great poem! 🤩🤩🤩 10mo
dabbe A whoah one. 🖤💜🖤 10mo
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CaliforniaCay
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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I've been on a poetry kick this month. So glad I picked up this little collection on my DC trip. I remember reading maybe 1 or 2 Langston Hughed poems in school, but I didn't know too much about him. I was happy to read that he was quite the nomad, living in several different states and countries. I also didn't realize he had written so much, and I hope to read his novel, autobiography, and plays one day too 🖤💙🖤💙

CoffeeNBooks I love Langston Hughes, and include some of his poetry in my English classes. (Also, I just sent you a #LitsyLove letter 💌) 11mo
kspenmoll His poetry is wonderful 11mo
CaliforniaCay @CoffeeNBooks So glad to hear you're introducing your students to Hughes 💙 and yay! I'll keep my eye out for your letter 👀 10mo
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suvata
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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• Read for Black History Month

#StoryGraph: nonfiction classics poetry challenging reflective medium-paced race
128 pages • first pub 1925

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Nearly ninety years after its first publication, this celebratory edition of The Weary Blues reminds us of the stunning achievement of Langston Hughes, who was just twenty-four at its first appearance.

41 likes1 stack add
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Leftcoastzen
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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#poetrymonth Since I posted the bookplate from this title , thought I‘d also add a poem . This collection was published in 1926.

vivastory Nice! I love Langston Hughes, but it's been awhile since I've read him. 3y
Lesliereads 😍 3y
batsy Lovely ❤️ The musicality of his words. 3y
Leftcoastzen @batsy definitely!It moves around my brain differently !🎵 3y
33 likes4 comments
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Leftcoastzen
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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#bookplates Haven‘t posted one for awhile,one of the joys of secondhand books!

LeahBergen Well, that‘s a groovy one, isn‘t it? 👍 3y
wanderinglynn Now that‘s a book plate! 3y
batsy That's fab! 3y
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BookishMarginalia
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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Haunting.

Aims42 😢 4y
KatieDid927 Such a powerful collection. 4y
Chrissyreadit Beautiful! 4y
99 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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KatieDid927
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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Pickpick

Langston Hughes is one of the greatest poets ever, and this reprint is a treasure.

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elizabethlk
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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My grandmother has been in the hospital for the past 2 weeks and passed away last night. I happened to be reading The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes (which is brilliant from beginning to end) and this poem really spoke to me today.

wanderinglynn I am so sorry for your loss. 5y
Bookwormjillk Sorry for your loss 5y
Jas16 I am so very sorry for your loss 5y
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JackOBotts How sad...may knowing she‘s at peace bring you comfort 5y
Owlizabeth Sending hugs your way 💞💞💞 5y
TheSpineView Sorry to hear that!😓 Sending 💕hugs💕 5y
Librarybelle So sorry for your loss 5y
Cinfhen Wow, that poem. So sorry for your loss 😔 5y
Birdsong28 So sorry for your loss. Sending you lots love 😘❤️ 5y
elizabethlk @wanderinglynn @Bookwormjillk @Jas16 @JackOBotts @Owlizabeth @TheSpineView @Librarybelle @Cinfhen @Birdsong28 thank you all for your condolences and well wishes, they are deeply appreciated. ❤ 5y
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Bertha_Mason
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes

"I loved my friend. / He went away from me. / There's nothing more to say. / The poem ends, / Soft as it began,-- / I loved my friend."
-"Poem (To F.S.)"

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Bertha_Mason
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes

"The calm, / Cool face of the river / Asked me for a kiss."
-"Suicide's Note"

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jveezer
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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Did anyone else catch this feature on books that shaped the last 12 decades? The (first) ‘00 and the ‘20s were the decades I have read or will read them all. https://lithub.com/a-century-of-reading-the-10-books-that-defined-the-1920s/

jveezer The 80s was my worst decade. 6y
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jveezer
The Weary Blues | Langston Hughes
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What a beautiful edition. Squeezing one more book start in for #BlackHistoryMonth.