Explore the Role of Poetry in Black Liberation and Resistance

Renaissance Man. Poet. Novelist. Essayist. Activist.

Langston Hughes’ poem, "The Bitter River" sheds light on the depth and complexities of Black liberation and resistance. Some critics view his focus on the lived experience of self-determined black individuals in a negative light. However, Hughes unapologetically and consistently used poetry to explore themes such as cultural identity, white supremacy and racism, liberation and resistance, and whiteness and privilege.

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The Bitter River

"There is a bitter river

Flowing through the South.

Too long has the taste of its water

Been in my mouth.

There is a bitter river

Dark with filth and mud.

Too long has its evil poison

Poisoned my blood.

I've drunk of the bitter river

And its gall coats the red of my tongue,

Mixed with the blood of the lynched boys

From its iron bridge hung,

Mixed with the hopes that are drowned there

In the snake-like hiss of its stream

Where I drank of the bitter river

That strangled my dream:

The book studied-but useless,

Tool handled-but unused,

Knowledge acquired but thrown away,

Ambition battered and bruised.

Oh, water of the bitter river

With your taste of blood and clay,

You reflect no stars by night,

No sun by day..." (Hughes, 1994, pp. 242-243).

-Langston Hughes

References

Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967. (1994). The collected poems of Langston Hughes. New York: Knopf: Distributed by Random House.

Parks, G., Photographer. (1943) Portrait of Langston Hughes. United States, 1943. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2017858893/.

Summers, M. (2007). Langston Hughes (1902-1967). BLACKPAST. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/hughes-langston-1902-1967/

Thomas, D. & Iseghohi, C. (n.d.) The legacy of resistance, resilience, and revolution. Future Black Leaders Inc. https://www.futureblackleadersinc.org/future-black-leaders-blog/langston-huges