Where the Jazz Band Plays - The Weary Blues - Poetry by Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes is often referred to as the Poet Laureate of African-American experience. The writer featured themes of cultural heritage, racial discrimination, and optimism in his poetry. He used his work to reflect the struggles of Black people in America, but also to send messages of hope. Jazz and blues had a strong influence on his work and dreams are a recurring theme in his poetry. Not only does Hughes comment on the American dream and Black people's inability to achieve it, but he also uses dreams as a symbol of hope for equity and freedom.