The age of great inspiration
By
M.T.
March 12, 2014
Culture is an ever changing culmination of human achievement. We collectively shape our cultures and live by them. They are important and a part of who we are. In order to understand our culture today we have to study the past. Our lives could not be as they are today if it weren’t for the different influences and changes that the Harlem renaissance brought about. The literature, music and even the fashion of that time has had a tremendous impact on who and what we are today.
African American literature has come a long way and the Harlem Renaissance was a time of great literary creativity.i The inspiration for many poets and writers during the Harlem Renaissance spawned from all of the different movements and change that was occurring during that time. One such poet was Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes is one of the most well-known writers of the Harlem Renaissance, also known as the African American artistic movement in the 1920’s. Langston Hughes used jazz and black folk rhythms in many of his poems, which was growing in popularity around that time. He did not always adhere to classical forms of poetry. Instead he broke the mold, not only by using unconventional techniques in his writing but also in his subject matter. Langston Hughes was often criticized for his works because they showed an “unattractive” view of African Americans.
The music of Americas African American people came to be called jazz in the early 1900’s. Jazz was music that both black and white people could enjoy. The Harlem Renaissance saw many musicians and vocalists rise to fame and innovate the way we listen to music. One of the most well-known musicians of the Harlem Renaissance was Louis Armstrong.ii Louis was brought up in an underprivileged family in New Orleans. He started with performances with bands in small clubs around his area, and played at local events in New Orleans. It wasn’t long before he got noticed...