black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

For my best poems were all written when I felt the worst. When I was happy, I didn’t write anything.

Langston Hughes

Words Like Freedom There are words like Freedom Sweet and wonderful to say. On my heartstrings freedom sings All day everyday. There are words like Liberty That almost make me cry. If you had known what I know You would know why.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Freedom Heart Myself Sing Wonderful Word
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Hard Time Life Myself Struggle
I am the American heartbreak- The rock on which Freedom Stumped its toe.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Freedom Heart Broken Myself
Beauty for some provides escape, who gain a happiness in eyeing the gorgeous buttocks of the ape or Autumn sunsets exquisitely dying.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Beautiful Death Escape Happiness
Life is a system of half-truths and lies, Opportunistic, convenient evasion.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Life Lying Opportunity System Truth
Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Earth Rain Summer Welcome Yourself
When you turn the corner And you run into yourself Then you know that you have turned All the corners that are left.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Corner Run Yourself
There’s a certain amount of traveling in a dream deferred.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Dreams Lost Travel
We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we are glad. If they aren?t it doesn?t matter.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Artist Creation Darkness Expression Happiness People Skin White Young
A picture, to be an interesting picture, must be more than a picture, otherwise it is only a reproduction of an object, and not an object of value in itself.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Interest Object Photograph Reproduction Value
I do not want no pretty woman. First thing you know, you fall in love with her-then you got to kill somebody about her. She’ll make you so jealous, you’ll bust!
LANGSTON HUGHES

Fall In Love Herself Jealous Woman Yourself
I did not believe political directives could be successfully applied to creative writing . . . not to poetry or fiction, which to be valid had to express as truthfully as possible the individual emotions and reactions of the writer.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Believe Creative Direction Politics Reaction Success Thinking Writing
Love is a naked shadow, On a gnarled and naked tree.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Love Naked Shadow Tree Yourself
But there are certain very practical things American Negro writers can do. And must do. There’s a song that says, “the time ain’t long.” That song is right. Something has got to change in America-and change soon. We must help that change to come.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Change Difference Help Practical Time Transformation Writing
I’ve known rivers: 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.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Deep Growth Human Old River Soul World
O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe.
LANGSTON HUGHES

Breathe Equality Freedom Land Liberty Life Myself Patriot

For my best poems were all written when I felt the worst. When I was happy, I didn’t write anything.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

For my best poems were all written when I felt the worst. When I was happy, I didn’t write anything.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Langston Hughes Quotes