Isaiah Barnes
English 10 Honors
Mrs Plummer
1/03/2017
Poets of the Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a very important time period for African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was known for populating many aspects of African American culture such as music, art, literature, and many other things. The key aspect that fascinates most people though, was the poetry and poets of the Harlem Renaissance. (Biography.com 19)
Poetry during the Harlem Renaissance was written with so much soul and emotion. Most of it came from the constant oppression of black people. Poetry was a way to safely express one’s feelings without being deemed dangerous or rebellious. There were many great poets and writers during the Harlem Renaissance. Most of which were very young. Some of these poets include Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Gwendolyn Bennett. (Biography.com 22)
Jean Toomer was born in Washington DC in 1894 and began his writing career in 1918. He wrote many short stories, plays and poems throughout his career. He was half white and half black and struggled with identity crisis. He went to many colleges but never received a degree. Jean was best known for a novel called cane that “ uses a visionary mix of poetry and stories to address the realities and emotion of the rural african american experience.” (Biography.com 7)
Langston Hughes was a writer born in Missouri in 1902. He published his first poem in 1921 and immediately started receiving much attention. He is well known for his poem called “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” He was working as a waiter in a restaurant when he met Vachel Lindsay in a restaurant and she promoted his poems to bigger audiences. Once working with Lindsay, Hughes’ “The Weary Blues” won first prize Opportunity Magazine’s literary competition and Hughes received a great scholarship to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Hughes went on to be one of the greatest poets of his time. ( Biography.com 47)
Countee Cullen was born in 1903 but where is unknown. By his high school years he was already an award winning and nationally recognized poet. He went to NYU where he studied literature and graduated. Cullen won the Witter Bynner Poetry Prize. In his writing he “relied on traditional european writing structures and verse, though he incorporated ideas around African American racial origin and experience in much of his work.
Gwendolyn Bennett was born in 1902 in Giddings, Texas. She is partially native american and spent part of her childhood on a native american reservation in Texas. As a child, she had a passion for creative arts and literature. Some of her pieces were published in the NAACP’s Crisis Magazine. Some of her famous poems are “Heritage”, “To Usward”, “Moon Tonight” and, “Fantasy”. ( Biography.com 9)
The Harlem Renaissance was a very prosperous time for African Americans in Harlem and all across the country. Black people and many other minorities in the United States were able to express themselves through literature, food, music, clothing and any other thing that would vary from culture culture. People like Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Bennett, Countee Cullen and Jean Toomer paved the way for many poets and writers of today.
English 10 Honors
Mrs Plummer
1/03/2017
Poets of the Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a very important time period for African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was known for populating many aspects of African American culture such as music, art, literature, and many other things. The key aspect that fascinates most people though, was the poetry and poets of the Harlem Renaissance. (Biography.com 19)
Poetry during the Harlem Renaissance was written with so much soul and emotion. Most of it came from the constant oppression of black people. Poetry was a way to safely express one’s feelings without being deemed dangerous or rebellious. There were many great poets and writers during the Harlem Renaissance. Most of which were very young. Some of these poets include Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Gwendolyn Bennett. (Biography.com 22)
Jean Toomer was born in Washington DC in 1894 and began his writing career in 1918. He wrote many short stories, plays and poems throughout his career. He was half white and half black and struggled with identity crisis. He went to many colleges but never received a degree. Jean was best known for a novel called cane that “ uses a visionary mix of poetry and stories to address the realities and emotion of the rural african american experience.” (Biography.com 7)
Langston Hughes was a writer born in Missouri in 1902. He published his first poem in 1921 and immediately started receiving much attention. He is well known for his poem called “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” He was working as a waiter in a restaurant when he met Vachel Lindsay in a restaurant and she promoted his poems to bigger audiences. Once working with Lindsay, Hughes’ “The Weary Blues” won first prize Opportunity Magazine’s literary competition and Hughes received a great scholarship to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Hughes went on to be one of the greatest poets of his time. ( Biography.com 47)
Countee Cullen was born in 1903 but where is unknown. By his high school years he was already an award winning and nationally recognized poet. He went to NYU where he studied literature and graduated. Cullen won the Witter Bynner Poetry Prize. In his writing he “relied on traditional european writing structures and verse, though he incorporated ideas around African American racial origin and experience in much of his work.
Gwendolyn Bennett was born in 1902 in Giddings, Texas. She is partially native american and spent part of her childhood on a native american reservation in Texas. As a child, she had a passion for creative arts and literature. Some of her pieces were published in the NAACP’s Crisis Magazine. Some of her famous poems are “Heritage”, “To Usward”, “Moon Tonight” and, “Fantasy”. ( Biography.com 9)
The Harlem Renaissance was a very prosperous time for African Americans in Harlem and all across the country. Black people and many other minorities in the United States were able to express themselves through literature, food, music, clothing and any other thing that would vary from culture culture. People like Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Bennett, Countee Cullen and Jean Toomer paved the way for many poets and writers of today.