The separate arts of music and writing have always been intertwined. Musicians love to read, and writers love to listen to music. They make company with each other and appreciate each other's art forms. While authors had previously written music related works, it was Langston Hughes who finally bridged the gap with his new breed of jazz poetry. With his innovation, Hughes became the first writer to succeed where others had failed; instead of simply writing about music, he fused the two into an inseparable entity. Hughes is the father of jazz poetry, as well as the most well known and most influential.
Bonner, Patricia E. (1990). Cryin' the Jazzy Blues and Livin' Blue Jazz. West Georgia College Review, 20, 15-29.
Offering an in-depth view of Langston Hughes's style of poetry, Bonner establishes Hughes as an innovative force in poetry, saying "Langston Hughes' harmonious fusion of poetry and music produced an exciting and provocative new poetic style and art form that sang the blues and crackled with the fire of jazz" (15). The text holds weight with its fluent, comprehensive, and comprehensible language. Bonner continues by offering brief but crucial of blues and jazz, in order to give the reader a sense of why Langston Hughes was influenced by the music. The text succeeds in concentrating on the poetry rather than just on the music. Also, Bonner delves into the impact jazz had on Hughes's life, and not simply his writing, which effectively personalizes and explains his desire to fuse music and writing. The article provides essential background of the music, as well as shedding light on why the music influenced Hughes, culminating in the establishment of Hughes as the founder of the jazz poetry movement.
Farrell, Walter C. , & Johnson, Patricia A. (1981). Poetic Interpretations of Urban Black Folk Culture. Melus, 8,
57-72.
Farrell and Johnson use a narrow view to draw out the importance of Hughes's writing, with Montage of a Dream Deferred being used as the basis for their argument. The author's state that "Hughes took advantage of the structural characteristics of bebop by drastically reordering the traditional limitations imposed on the poem" (61). Here, they explain how Hughes fused music and poetry together, giving validity to the idea that he effectively did so. The text also states that, "By breaking down the barrier between the beginning of one poem and the end of another, Hughes created a new technique in poetry" (61). The effect that the passage describes is a technique that is often used by jazz musicians as well. Jazz musicians will often improvise from one song into another, using notes as an effective segue, just as Hughes did with his words in Montage. Again, the text helps support the idea that Hughes fusion of jazz and poetry was an effective one, as well as offering an in-depth perspective on a definitive Hughes work.
Hokanson, Robert O'Brien (1998). Jazzing it up: The Be-bop Modernism of Langston Hughes. Mosaic, 31 (4), 61-82.
Hokanson begins his article by introducing modernism, so as to provide an understanding of the other literary works of Hughes's time. From there he delves into Hughes's work Montage of a Dream Deferred. According to Hokanson, Hughes moved past using mainstream jazz and instead "taps into the more rebellious mode known as 'be-bop'" (62). The article is based around Hughes's use of jazz in general and be-bop in particular as a driving force in his writing. Hokanson offers an insightful, well organized article regarding Hughes's influence on culture, the culture that influenced him, and the techniques of modernism that Hughes rejected or modified to create a stimulating, innovative type of poetry.
Modern American Poetry: Hughes's Life and Career. 27 Nov. 2001. < http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/life.htm >.
Rampersad offers a brief but valuable overview of Langston Hughes's life. It is important to understand Hughes's life in order to understand him as an artist, including why he used jazz in his poetry. Rampersad provides an unbiased look at Hughes, which includes his places of residence, emotional and physical states at certain times, his family life, and his writing and influences upon it. The site is an overall intensive view of Hughes and his writing, with Rampersad's biography being the centerpiece, providing much needed information about the author.
Patterson, A. (1990). Jazz, Realism, and the Modernist Lyric. Modern Language Quarterly, 61 (4), 650-681.
Using the foundations of modernism and realism as a base for deducing Hughes's work, Patterson offers another perspective on Hughes and his work. This article reinforces the positions of the previous critics, citing Hughes as a major influence on the literary world, with jazz being a major influence on his own writing. The inclusion of realism in the critique makes for an interesting read, as the oft conflicting views of modernism and realism both pervade Hughes's jazz-induced poetry. Furthermore, Patterson takes a broad look at Hughes's writing, concentrating on his work as a whole, not just one major work. Patterson's article sheds light on aspects of Hughes's work that had not been addressed by the previous critics, providing a valuable opinion on Hughes as a driving creative force.
Robinson, Clayton Lisa. Langston Hughes. 26 Nov. 2001. < http://www.africana.com/Articles/tt_434.htm >
Robinson adds to rampersad's account of Hughes by filling in the gaps. Robinson cites Hughes as a creative, influential writer of the Harlem Renaissance. Also, the article addresses Hughes's musical tendencies in his poetry, bringing everything full circle, with his life, writings, and musical influence in one article. Robinson's article is supplemented by short descriptions of many of Hughes's works, listing different aspects of the works, including subject matter, form, and style (including the use of jazz). As an informational, biographical page, Robinson's article succeeds in exposing important aspects of Hughes's life, time, and writings with respect to Hughes's musical heritage and inclinations.