The Poetry of Langston Hughes

    蓝斯顿休斯是美国中上最伟大的诗人之一就像其他许许多多的作家，他的写作题材来自于他的生活经验，即他身边的人、事、地虽然休斯对来自于社会各阶层的人都很友善，如：富人、中产阶级及贫穷人，而这些所谓的低下阶层的人们对他的诗作影响深远休斯将这个措辞视为某种类型的赞赏，他欣赏这些人，因为「他们毫无疑问的接受美丽就是己身的想法」您认为这句话代表了什么意义？也许这句话意指低下阶层的人们能够领会存在他们生活中的美好事物休斯热爱黑人音乐尤其是表达悲伤主题的蓝调音乐他在芝加哥、纽约、堪萨斯市及华盛顿特区内的俱乐部聆听这种音乐他听的歌是讲述人们决心征服艰难在「称为蓝调的歌曲」(songscalledtheblues，1941)中，休斯形容这类音乐是「深受打击却打不垮的黑人唱腔」；1958年，在爵士及蓝调音乐家(如：查尔斯明格斯charlesmingus)的伴奏下，休斯将他的诗作录制出版您曾听过随音乐吟诵的诗作吗？藍斯頓休斯藉由創作作品來表達對政治及不公的感受他到他國旅行以學習他人是如何處理種族議題儘管他是非常自由派的，休斯仍為持有保守觀點的非裔美人說話例如1941年的「布克的敘事歌謠」(balladofbookert.)即是休斯為前奴隸及保守的平等提倡者布克華盛頓(bookert.washington)所作的詩這首詩將焦點放在華盛頓為爭取種族和平所做出的努力，而未對其做出任何批評：sometimeshehadcompromiseinhistalk--foramanmustcrawlbeforehecanwalkandinalabamain85ajokerwasluckytobealive.休斯以不得不「妥協」來解釋華盛頓的立場為達目的，您是否曾妥協或改變您的觀點過？langstonhughesisoneofamericasgreatestpoets.likesomanywriters,hewroteaboutwhatheknew--thepeople,placesandeventsaroundhim.althoughhugheswasfriendlywithpeoplefromallwalksoflife,therich,themiddleclassandthepoor,itwasthepeoplehecalledthelow-downfolkswhohadthegreatestinfluenceonhispoetry.hughesusedthisexpressionasaformofpraise.headmiredthesepeoplebecausetheyacceptwhatbeautyistheirownwithoutquestion.whatdoyouthinkthismeans?perhapsthephrasemeansthatthelow-downfolksappreciatedthebeautythatexistedintheirlives.hugheslovedthemusicofhispeople,especiallytheblues,songsthatexpresssadthemes.heheardthismusicinclubsinchicago,newyork,kansascityandwashington,d.c.thesongsheheardwereaboutpeoplewhoweredeterminedtoovercomehardships.insongscalledtheblues(1941),hughessaidthismusicwassungbyblack,beatenbutunbeatablethroats.in1958,hughesrecordedhispoetrytotheaccompanimentofthemusicofjazzandbluesartistssuchascharlesmingus.haveyoueverheardpoetryrecitedtomusic?langstonhughesbelievedinusinghisarttogetacrosshisfeelingsaboutpoliticsandinjustice.hetraveledtoothercountriestolearnhowtheydealtwithracialissues.despitehisownveryliberalbeliefs,hughesdefendedafricanamericanactivistswhoheldmoreconservativeviews.forexample,inthe1941poemballadofbookert.,hughesdefendsbookert.washington,aformerslaveandmoreconservativeadvocateforequality.ratherthancriticizehim,thepoetfocusedonwashingtonsstrategytogainracialequality:sometimeshehadcompromiseinhistalk--foramanmustcrawlbeforehecanwalkandinalabamain85ajokerwasluckytobealive.hughesexplainedwashingtonspositionbysayinghehadtocompromise.haveyoueverhadtocompromise,orchangeyourpointofview,togetwhatyouwanted?