The Negro Mother by Langston Hughes
"The Negro Mother" is a poignant poem by Langston Hughes that serves as a powerful voice for black mothers throughout history. It is the centerpiece of a larger collection aimed at reaching African American communities, reflecting on the experiences and struggles of black mothers from the time of slavery to the present. Through a lyrical narrative, the poem captures the suffering endured by enslaved individuals while emphasizing their resilience and hope for a brighter future. The narrator addresses her children, urging them to strive for dignity and freedom from oppression, highlighting a deep connection to heritage and collective strength. With its rhythmic couplets and memorable structure, the poem is designed to be both recitable and accessible to its audience. Hughes's work resonates as a heritage poem, reflecting the enduring spirit of black motherhood and the push for social justice. Overall, "The Negro Mother" exemplifies Hughes's commitment to uplifting the voices and experiences of African Americans in a manner that is both relatable and inspiring.
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The Negro Mother by Langston Hughes
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1931 (collected in The Negro Mother, 1931)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
“The Negro Mother” is the title poem in the collection of poetry that Hughes wrote to reach the masses of black people. The twenty-page book and the poem were such an instant success that Hughes told his friend Carl Van Vechten that in Birmingham, Alabama, the book “sold like reefers on 131st Street.”
The voice in the poem is that of the black mothers through the ages. In the opening line, the narrator addresses her children. In the narrative that follows, “the Negro mother” depicts the capture and hardship of black slaves and speaks of the will to endure that kept them going. The voice of the Negro mother urges the children to transform the future so that they may live in dignity and freedom from white oppression.
The poem, often referred to as a heritage poem, is highly lyrical, employing both a regular rhyme scheme (couplets) and meter. It was Hughes’s intention, he said, that the poems be pleasant to recite and easy to remember. “The Negro Mother” and the success of the volume show how keenly in tune Hughes was with his audience.
Bibliography
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Cooper, Floyd. Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes. New York: Philomel Books, 1994.
Harper, Donna Sullivan. Not So Simple: The “Simple” Stories by Langston Hughes. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1995.
Haskins, James. Always Movin’ On: The Life of Langston Hughes. Trenton, N.J.: Africa World Press, 1993.
Hokanson, Robert O’Brien. “Jazzing It Up: The Be-bop Modernism of Langston Hughes.” Mosaic 31 (December, 1998): 61-82.
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Tracy, Steven C., ed. A Historical Guide to Langston Hughes. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.