LANGSTON HUGHES

The First True Jazz Poet
Born February 1, 1902.
He moved around a lot
His first poetry book was The Weary Blues
He died in May 22, 1967 of prostate cancer.

JAZZ POETRY

• Literary genre defined as poetry informed by jazz music.
• Poetry that responds to and writes about jazz.
• Jazz poetry has a variety of forms, rhythms, and sounds.

Droning a drowsy syncopated tune, Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, I heard a Negro play. Down on Lenox Avenue the other night by the pale dull pallor of an old gas light He did a lazy sway...He did a lazy sway... To the tunes o' those Weary Blues.
The Weary Blues

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JAZZ POETRY

• Jazz poetry runs through the Harlem Renaissance, the Beat movement,
• And the Black Arts Movements and even still today.

I got to leave this town.
It's a lonesome place.
Got to leave this town cause.
It's a lonesome place.
A po', po' boy can't.
Find a friendly face
*excerpt from Langston Hughes "A Lonesome Place."