First published 1970
Langston Hughes presents an expansive collection spanning over two hundred years of African American poetry. The anthology begins with works from the colonial period in 1746 and travels through the civil rights era to 1970. Hughes assembles voices from enslaved poets writing in secret to celebrated figures of the Harlem Renaissance. The collection includes his own influential works alongside pieces from Phillis Wheatley, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Countee Cullen. These poems capture experiences of bondage and freedom, urban migration and rural roots, protest and celebration. Hughes organizes the material to show how African American poets have consistently used verse to document their lives, challenge injustice, and assert their humanity. The anthology reveals how poetic expression evolved from early religious themes through abolitionist calls to modern explorations of identity and pride.
Genres: 20th-century, african-american, poetry, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, protest, social-commentary
Setting: Harlem Renaissance, United States
Period: 1746-1970, Colonial Period, Civil Rights Era
429 pages · Hardcover · [S.I.]