Themes and Motifs of Jazz in a Selection of Early Poems by Langston Hughes

Abstract

The overall aim of this bachelor paper is to analyze themes and motifs of jazz in Langston Hughes' works, mainly in his early poems. Initial chapters try to introduce the situation of African Americans in the United States in the twentieth century. Next, the thesis focuses on introduction of the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. To some extent, the thesis presents the history of jazz music and different styles of jazz during the 1920s and 1930s. The following chapter deals solely with Langston Hughes' life, his major works and his role in the Harlem Renaissance. A detailed analysis of his two early poems, The Weary Blues and Song for a Dark Girl, is provided in the practical part of the thesis.