Research Guides: Hughes, Langston: Critical Articles

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Langston Hughes—Our Poet Supreme
In the article “Langston Hughes—Our Poet Supreme,” Kalamu ya Salaam combines the insight and perspective borne of struggle and study with the vibrancy of poetry and the flavor of the blues in his discussion of Langston Hughes's legacy. As suggested in his title, Salaam argues that Hughes is the foremost Black poet in American literary history. Salaam substantiates his claim by outlining Hughes's in-depth knowledge of Black people and Black culture, his abiding political commitment to freedom nationally and internationally, his contributions to letters as a translator, and, finally, his prolific publications.
Impact of the World Wars and the Cold War on Langston Hughes
The two World Wars and the Cold War had a profound impact on Langston Hughes. World War I and the October Revolution wove a web that connected the Soviet Union and its socialist cause to African Americans, and then the Yokinen and Scottsboro trials directly nurtured the “New Red Negro” writings with the spirit of rising “up from bondage” as oppressed people. Hughes traveled the world, became a global citizen, and assumed a cosmopolitan mission for international and racial affairs. However, the Nazi-Soviet Pact changed his view of the world. Hughes began to focus on the problems of “colored soldiers” and compared the advantages and disadvantages of the United States of America and the Soviet Union. When the Iron Curtain came about, McCarthyism drove Hughes to stay in the United States, maintain a distance from international and political affairs, confirm his national position, and rely on writing children’s books for a living, as well as translating and editing others’ works.

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