Poets of the Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was named after the Harlem district of New York City and began in 1921 with the publication of Countee Cullen’s first poems. The release of poems from Langston Hughes followed six months later. Claude McKay added to the growing list of published Harlem poets shortly afterwards. This movement continued through the 1930s. In this interactivity, use the NEXT button or the numbered tabs at the bottom to explore this celebrated artistic movement.

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Countee Cullen

Countee Cullen (1903–1946), unlike popular Imagist poets and many of his Harlem counterparts, used traditional poetry forms and methods. Yet it was his eloquent expression of the sentiments of African-Americans that gained him popularity and made a lasting impression on literature. Cullen grew up in New York and was an outstanding student who had always focused on literary pursuits. He received a master's degree in English and French from Harvard University. He began publishing poetry in 1925 and he continued to publish popular poetry until 1942.

Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes (1902–1967) became the most prolific and successful African-American writer in the country during the Modernist era, and his poetry continues to be some of the most widely read American poetry. Hughes was raised mostly in Ohio and then moved to New York to attend Columbia University. His first volume of poetry was published to great success in 1926. Hughes not only wrote poetry but also plays, fiction, autobiographical sketches, and screenplays. All of his literature expressed pride in his heritage and voiced displeasure with the racial oppression he witnessed in America. Indeed, Hughes spent a great deal of his time in Europe, where he felt that people of African descent did not face as much prejudice as they did in the United States. Although he did not live permanently in Harlem, it was where he stayed for inspiration and cultural nourishment.

Claude McKay

Claude McKay (1889–1948) was a poet, novelist, journalist, and activist. He was originally from Jamaica, and although his poetry reflected the impression Jamaica had made on him, he considered Harlem the place of his spiritual inspiration. Like Hughes, McKay spent a great deal of time traveling, but he always returned to Harlem. McKay grew up in Jamaica, and after the success of a volume of poetry published in Jamaica, he immigrated to the United States in 1912. McKay held down various jobs and even opened a restaurant at one time, but writing was his main calling. He was shocked by the intense racism he encountered in South Carolina when he first immigrated to the United States. This exposure inspired him to write poetry.

Poetry Analysis

What subjects are discussed in the poetry of Cullen, Hughes, and McKay? What uses of figurative language and sound devices do they employ in the poems that you have read? Take a moment now to review these four poems from the Harlem Renaissance. In this interactivity, click on each of the tabs to examine the poems in further detail.

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Harlem Renaissance Poetry Review

Now that you have explored the Harlem Renaissance and the poets of that time period, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Read each question, then select the appropriate answer. Click on the player button to get started.