Essay on The Use of Laughter in Poetry by Langston Hughes

The Use of Laughter in Poetry by Langston Hughes Jessie Fauset explains in her essay The Gift of Laughter that black comedy developed not as a method for blacks to make people laugh, but as a necessary emotional outlet for black people to express their struggles and hardships. The funny man took on a much more serious emotion than appeared on the surface level. Comedy was one of the few means black people had available to them to express themselves. The paradoxical definition of laughter is applicable to all human beings; the limited means of expression is unique to those in an inferior place in society, such as the black Americans of the Harlem Renaissance. In a sense, what makes the struggles represented by the black†¦show more content†¦Many of Langston Hughess poems contain references to laughter. Jessie Fausets essay describing the double meaning of laughter helps the reader to understand the complex nature of Hughess use of laughter in his poems. The Jester and Minstrel Man are two of the more obvious poems tha t deal with the complex meaning of laughter. The Minstrel Man discusses the same role of the funny man that Fauset describes in her essay. The white audience sees a black comedian laughing on stage but does not look past the laughter to see the hurt and pain of the black community: You do not think I suffer after I have held my pain So long? (lines 5-8) The white audience is unable to or refuses to look beyond the comic side of laughter to find the reality that, as Fauset describes, the funny man is really a character with a definite plot in a rather loosely constructed but none the less well outlined story (162). There is a sad story to tell but the only way to tell it is through comedy. The story is sad because, as stated in the last lines of the poem You do not know / I die? the white audience sees a happy, dancing man on stage but cannot see what oppression has done to his soul (lines 15-16). Hughess poem The Jester is also dealing with the obvious subject of laughter but is even more troubling than Minstrel Man. The Oxford English Dictionary defines jesting as uttering gibes or taunts; givingShow MoreRelated Langston Hughes Essay833 Words   |  4 PagesLangston Hughes Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He was named after his father, James Hughes, but was known as Langston. He was the only child from his parents James and Carrie Hughes. His parents were not married for long because of an unhappy marriage. When they separated, Langston was left with his mother, who left him behind to move from city to city to find work. Langston ended up living with his 70 year-old grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas. He livedRead MoreJames Mecer Langston Hughes: Literary Genius1763 Words   |  8 PagesJames Mercer Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. James Hughes and Carrie Langston are Hughes’ parents. They later divorced when Hughes was young. After his parents divorced he went to live with his grandmother until he turned thirteen years old. At thirteen years old he moved to Lincoln, Illinois. After living in Illinois he later moved to Cleveland, Ohio to live with his mother. When he moved to Cl eveland he started writing poetry (â€Å"James Mercer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  par. 2). Langston had manyRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance By Langston Hughes1033 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom 1920 to around 1935. Even though this period was short, it still lives on though all African American artists today. According to Biography.com in the article about Langston Hughes, there were many artist, musicians, and writers such as Langston Hughes, who was a huge part of the Harlem Renaissance period. Langston Hughes was a well-known poet and play writer. In the magazine called â€Å"The Crisis† his poem â€Å"Negros Speak of River† was published in 1921 and brought him attention in all the blackRead MoreThesis: Langston Hughes and the Blues1812 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Research Outline I . Introduction Thesis Langston Hughs viewed the music of the blues and poetry as kindred forces that propelled the downtrodden blacks of the 1920s and 1930s toward a better day. II. Paragraph Two develop metaphor between constancy of blues music and ocean waves in live of black people. Quote blues poems: Weary Blues, Po Boy Blues, Homesick Blues. Relationship between the listener (the poet) and the blues musician, each coming to the same place night after night Read MoreLangston Hughes ´ Memories in His Poems Essay834 Words   |  4 Pagesauthors and poets make use of their memories and experiences in their work as a way to reflect back on their lives, raise awareness, or just simply to tell a story. As a prominent contributor to the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes was an inspirational poet who highlighted many aspects of the urban life of African-Americans through reflections of his own life and experiences. As a writer, a poet and a prominent activist of the civil rights movement, Langston Hughes was a man that was notRead MoreLangston Hughes : The American Dream And Southern Migration With The Reality Of Prejudice2931 Words   |  12 Pages11/4/14 Langston Hughes Themes, Styles, and Techniques Langston Hughes has solidified his place as one of the greatest writers in American Literature to this day. This achievement is due to his thought provoking use of certain styles and techniques to portray his main themes and ideas. Many of Langston Hughes’ themes originated from his personal feelings and experiences. Hughes thus centers his themes around the ups and downs of African Americans living in America during his time. Langston HughesRead More Langston Hughes Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pages Langston Hughes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People always listen to music, watch movies or plays, and even read poetry without once even thinking what is could be that helps and artist eventually create a masterpiece. Often times, it is assumed that artists just have a â€Å"gift†, and people just do not consider the circumstances and situations that gradually mold a dormant idea into a polished reality. This seems to be the case with nearly every famous actor, writer, painter, or musician; including the ever-famousRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance : Langston Hughes1145 Words   |  5 PagesNegro race as demonstrated by artists such as Langston Hughes. During the peak of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes created poetry that was not only artistically and musically sound but also captured a blues essence giving life to a new mode of poetry as it portrayed the African American struggles with ego and society leading Langston Hughes to be one of the most influential icons of the Harlem Renaissance. One affair is for sure, Hughes consistent use of common themes allows them to be the veryRead MoreLangston Hughes : The Black Writers Of The Harlem Renaissance1488 Words   |  6 Pageswriters of the 1900’S is Langston Hughes. While many writers focused on one style or category of writing, Langston Hughes is the most versatile of all of the writers from the Harlem Renaissance. While the state of Missouri is known for its largest cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City and for famous attractions such as the Gateway Arch, the state is also the birthplace of one of the most well-known writers of the early Twentieth Century. James Mercer Langston Hughes is an American author, writerRead MoreJames Langston Hughes And Countee Cullen934 Words   |  4 Pages James Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen were prominent poets. These poets were at the time of the Harlem Renaissance during the 20th century. Hughes and Cullen wrote for others to understand the stories of African-Americans living in the United State. These men had differences in their writing, but one mutual objective. James Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. Hughes began writing poetry when he lived in Lincoln, Illinois. The Weary Blues was his first book of poetry