TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Langston Hughes, one of the leading voices of the Harlem Renaissance, often described his poetry as “jazz written on the page.” He was deeply inspired by the rhythms, improvisation, and spirit of African American music. Poems like "The Weary Blues" capture not only the sound of a jazz performance but also its emotional depth—the sorrow, hope, and resilience of a community.
Hughes often performed his poetry aloud, mimicking the syncopated rhythms of piano and trumpet, creating a call-and-response between words and music. Jazz informed his language, his line breaks, and even the pacing of his poems, allowing readers to feel the swing, the tension, and the release inherent in the music.
Through his poetry, he gave jazz a literary voice, connecting music and words in ways that still resonate today.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.