Merry-Go-Round
"Colored child at carnival:
Where is the Jim Crow section
On this merry-go-round,
Mister, Cause I want to ride?
Down South where I come from
White and colored
Can't sit side by side.
Down South on the train
There's a Jim Crow Car.
On the bus we're putin the back--
But there ain't no back
To a merry-go-round!
Where's the horse
For a kid that's black?
----Langston Hughes (Garraty 872)
Langston Hughes was known for the use of jazz and black folk rhythm in his poetry.
He was born in Joplin Missouri and attended Lincoln University. His poetic skills were discovered by the American poet Vachee Lindsay. Hughes became known was the Laureate of Harlem ("Armstrong..." 1).
"Hughes had pride in his black heritage, strong political beliefs, and the will to survive in a society where racial equality had to be fought for" (Chow 1). Hughes conveyed ideas of strength and determination to believe in a better future. Langston Hughes innovated voice influenced many black writers.