Langston Hughes: 'When Sue Wears Red'

James Mercer Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. He was an African-American poet, columnist, dramatist, and novelist. Hughes is known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. With a complex ancestry, Langston Hughes’s paternal great-grandmothers were enslaved African-Americans and both of his paternal great-grandfathers were white slave owners in Kentucky. (Wagner 12) Mr. Hughes was raised by his grandmother, Mary Langston. (Wagner 14) His grandmother was a big influence in his life and understanding of black culture. She instilled in him a lasting sense of racial pride. While in grammar school, Hughes was elected class poet and he believed that in retrospect he was elected because of stereotype about African-Americans having rhythm. During high school, Mr. Hughes wrote for the school newspaper, edited the yearbook, and began to write his first short stories, poetry, and dramatic plays. His first piece of jazz poetry, “When Sue Wears Red,” was written while he was still in high …show more content…
In the poem he speaks of rivers that he’s known, as ancient as the world. He says “I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.” (Miller 56) It is understood that Mr. Hughes is referring to his ancestors.(Miller 56) He is linking himself to his family through important historical, religious, and cultural sites in the world. The rivers that were stated in the poem are The Nile River, The Mississippi River, and the Euphrates River, which all predates to human beings has made his soul grow “deep like the river.” (Miller 56) He speaks of the pride and strength black people had or needed to develop. “The Negro Speaks of River” became one of many poems by a man that the African-American community would look for in representation and guidance.(Miller