April is National Poetry Month. Poetry is a concentrated form of language that expresses emotions and experiences. It can reflect the human condition, address social issues or capture historical contexts. Its adaptability and enduring relevance is illustrated by a wide variety of styles, from classical sonnets to modern free verse. To increase the public’s awareness and appreciation of this distinctive and vital form of literary expression, the Academy of American Poets established National Poetry Month in 1996.
Poetry can also document cultural narratives and amplify the voices of the marginalized. It can be a powerful catalyst, challenging established norms and stimulating critical thinking. The Harlem Renaissance was a particularly rich and profound period for African American poets whose work nourished community and connection through shared experience. Alain Locke, a professor at Howard University, introduced the Harlem Renaissanse poets to a wider audience in his 1925 definitive text, The New Negro: An Interpretation. His 446 page anthology included fiction, poetry and essays on African and African-American art and literature. Importantly, it highlighted the Harlem Renaissance and the work of Langston Hughes.
Langston Hughes was a prolific author and the first African American who derived his income solely from his writing. Hughes wrote novels, plays, short stories, films, librettos, translations, as well as poetry. Though his poetry seems deceptively simple, Hughes deftly examines social conscience, class differences, and captures the black experience from Jim Crow to be-bop.
San Domenico has Langston Hughes poetry collections in each section of the library. Younger students are apt to giggle when reading the ape to zebra animal poems in The Sweet and Sour Animal Book. They’ll also enjoy the book’s animal images illustrated by the students from the Harlem School of the Arts. MS students can explore Hughes' range of poetic styles in the anthology, Don’t You Turn Back. Striking woodcuts in black, white and terra cotta add to the impact of these poems. Older students will discover the breadth of the poet’s career in Selected Poems of Langston Hughes. Hughes personally chose these works to capture the range and arc of his work.
Finally, celebrate National Poetry Month on Wednesday, April 23, by attending Poetry and Pizza from 6:30 to 8pm in the SD library. Join Rebecca Elegant and her US students in this sharing of favorite poems. We hope to see you there.