“The Influences of ‘I Got the Blues”

Whenever the Harlem Renaissance is mentioned most people relate this to an
African American artistic movement in the 1920s. This era brought about a new form and style of music, art, and literary works. It also gave African Americans recognition for the first time in history for their artistic talents. One of the most important writers and thinkers during this time period was James Langston Hughes. He celebrated African American culture, humor, and spirituality through his poetry, novels, plays, essays, and children’s books. Some of his pieces of work were influenced by other forms of art such as a piece of artwork or Blues music. Blues Music influenced Hughes first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, and we see this through the rhythm, mood, and the relationships conceived throughout the poem.
Blues Music, or some like to call it Jazz Music, first began as traditional jazz in New Orleans but gradually migrated all over the world. “Traditional Jazz” is also influenced...