Langston Hughes Quotes

Violent anger makes me physically ill.

Langston Hughes

An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.

Langston Hughes

Perhaps the mission of an artist is to interpret beauty to people - the beauty within themselves.

Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.

Langston Hughes

Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.

Langston Hughes

Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it.

Langston Hughes

Jazz, to me, is one of the inherent expressions of Negro life in America: the eternal tom-tom beating in the Negro soul - the tom-tom of revolt against weariness in a white world, a world of subway trains, and work, work, work; the tom-tom of joy and laughter, and pain swallowed in a smile.

Langston Hughes

I was a victim of a stereotype. There were only two of us Negro kids in the whole class, and our English teacher was always stressing the importance of rhythm in poetry. Well, everybody knows - except us - that all Negroes have rhythms, so they elected me class poet.

Langston Hughes

Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.

Langston Hughes

Beauty for some provides escape, who gain a happiness in eyeing the gorgeous buttocks of the ape or Autumn sunsets exquisitely dying.

Langston Hughes