Hart Crane

Emily Dickinson

T. S. Eliot

Robert Frost

Langston Hughes

Robert Lowell

Marianne Moore

Sylvia Plath

Ezra Pound

Wallace Stevens

Walt Whitman

William Carlos Williams

Voices & Visions Home

Langston Hughes, among the most versatile and prolific of modern American authors, achieved distinction in poetry, fiction, and drama. Race is at the center of his work--the beauty, dignity, and heritage of blacks in America. But Hughes was never racist--he always sought to speak to all Americans, especially on the larger issues of social, economic, and political justice.

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• View a video clip of the Langston Hughes poem "Dream Deferred".

Academy of American Poets

Find out why Hughes was viewed as the unofficial poet laureate of his race in the exhibit, "Poets of the Harlem Renaissance and After." This site explores Harlem Renaissance poetry, presents Hughes reading "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," and offers a selection of Hughes's other poetry as well as a brief biography.

HarperAudio: Langston Hughes

Can feet tell the story of a person's life? Listen as Hughes's character Jesse B. Semple answers this question, describes Harlem of the 1940s, and tells other "Simple" stories. The stories, originally newspaper features, are read by actor Ossie Davis.

Perspectives in American Literature

This page, "Chapter 9: Harlem Renaissance--Langston Hughes," offers questions to consider as you read Hughes's work. You'll also find a listing of his works and a bibliography.

Web English Teacher: Langston Hughes

This page features links to informational sites and lessons plans for teaching and learning about the life, times, work, and influence of Langston Hughes.

Langston Hughes in Lawrence

This page offers a glimpse into Hughes's life in Lawrence, Kansas, with photos and excerpts from the book Langston Hughes in Lawrence: Photographs & Biographical Resources by Denise Low & T.F. Pecore Weso.