Langston Hughes

James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Jopin Missouri. His mom and dad got divorced at a young age and lived with his grandmother in Mexico. He lived in many more different places as a child I think his life as a child was very hard. I say that because when you keep moving to different states and live with different family members each time.

Langston Hughes had many different jobs before he published his first book such as an assistant cook, busboy, launderer and was a seaman in Europe. In November 1924 he moved to Washington D.C. where he wrote a poem in a poetry book called Weary Blues. In 1926 he finished his college education at Lincoln University. Finally in 1930 his first novel Not Without Laughter was published and he won the Harmon gold medal for it.

There were many influences Langston Hughes said that made him to decide to become a poet. For example people such as Carl Sandburg, Paul Lawrence Dunbar and Walt Whitman were his main influences. Other things influenced him like black life and Harlem.


Sadly Langston Hughes died from prostate cancer on May 22, 1967, in New York. In his memory, his residence at 20 East 127th Street in Harlem, New York City, has been given landmark status by the New York City Preservation Commission, and East 127th Street has been renamed "Langston Hughes Place."





The reason why I chose to do Langston Hughes’ biography is when I read the Mother To Son poem. That poem really touched my heart and the metaphors it used to it used to help be really understand how the mother felt about her son quitting. The poem made me realize all the times I wanted to quit at something but my mom demanded me not to quit and she made me keep my head up high. That’s why I had to do the biography about Langston Hughes.