Harlem+Renaissance+Literature

Literature of the Harlem Renaissance

 American literature of the 1920s was “characterized by disillusionment with ideals and even with civilization itself” (Pinsker). The Harlem Renaissance was primarily a literary movement that originated in Harlem, New York City. African-Americans up to this point in history were given minimal opportunities to publish work which would gain recognition. After moving North, African-Americans had more outlets available to them, and critics and publishers  began to take their writing seriously (Perales, “American Periods”).Poetry, novels, and magazines focused on African roots and the dark reality of discrimination (Greenberg). "The Crisis" was created in November of 1910 as the official magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Authors such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston emerged during this period.Hughes was a poet, novelist, short story writer, and columnist (Greenberg). According to //America the Beautiful//, “Drawing on all aspects of black culture—including jazz rhythms, folklore, and street slang—his works present a rich portrait of African-American life” (“Hughes, Langston”). A famous poetic line of Hughes is, “Hold fast to dreams.” In 1926, //The Weary Blues// was published, a collection of Hughes’ poetry (Greenberg). A collection of stories by Hughes explored the relationships between blacks and whites, including //Not Without Laughter//, //Tambourines to Glory//, and //The Ways of White Folks// (“Hughes, Langston”). Hughes gave a voice to the black men and women of his time. He spoke for them. He spoke as them. His writing has earned him a place of respect in American Literature.

 As written by biographer Robert Hemenway, Zora Neale Hurston, “rejoiced in print about the beauty of being black” (“Hurston, Zora Neale). During this cultural movement, Hurston took a place of prominence as an influential woman writer. She wrote about the United States from the viewpoint of an African American.Hurston published several novels during the Harlem Renaissance, but //Their Eyes Were Watching God// is perhaps the most well-known, not released until 1937 (Greenberg). In 2005, it was made into a movie starring Halle Berry. Her writing was controversial, especially because of her choices in phonetic spelling, or the use of colloquial language.One of her successors, May Angelou, believes that Hurston’s works have endured because they “vibrate with tragedy, humor, and the real music of Black-American speech” (“Hurston, Zora Neale”). Both Hughes and Hurston take places of prominence in setting the American stage for African-American presentation.

How did this impact the identity of the 1920s? The name itself, the Harlem Renaissance, holds the answer to this question. Writing of this era forced Americans (both black and white) to see our world from the minority perspective. It prompted a boom in African-American music and art. ** The changing American Identity now moves from patriotism and nationalism to cultural awareness and respect. **

Navigate through literature:

Revolutionary Era Literature Harlem Renaissance Literature - You are here Contemporary Literature

Evolution of Literary Identity