Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was a famous black poet, novelist, playwright and political commentator. He was an outstanding representative of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and was known as the "Black Poet Laureate".

Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was young, and he lives with his grandmother, mother, relatives and friends. He received his secondary education in central America and attended Columbia University for only one year. Later, he continued his studies at Lincoln University and obtained a master's degree. He worked as a newsboy, a waiter in a ship restaurant, a janitor, and a waiter. He worked as an English teacher in Mexico at the age of 18. Later, he wandered in Western Europe and worked as a sailor and a cook in a Paris nightclub. He has very rich life experience. Hughes began his creations during the "Harlem Renaissance" era and was influenced by the "New Negro Movement". His early creations had a tendency of nationalism and aestheticism. The Great Depression of the United States in the early 1930s and the world-famous "Scottsboro Case" that framed black people raised his consciousness. He traveled to the Soviet Union and China and participated in the Spanish Civil War as a journalist. By getting close to the labor movement, his position gradually shifted to the revolutionary side. After the Second World War, his writing temporarily weakened the spirit of struggle, but soon turned to reality and wrote works that praised the labor movement and opposed racial discrimination, such as the poems "New Song" and "Let America Become America Again" , the novel "Simpur Advocates", etc. After the 1950s, the tendency of art for art's sake reappeared in his creations. Some of his poems are considered avant-garde works.

Generally speaking, Hughes's literary activities throughout his life were closely linked to the African American movement of his time and closely related to the fate of the majority of black people. Hughes's creations truly and profoundly reflect the social life of African Americans, pouring out their suffering and bitterness, joy and hope, as well as their pursuit and desire for freedom and democracy.

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Love his nation and be proud of the civilization and dignity of his race. This feeling is most fully reflected in his famous early poem "The Negro Talks about the River." "middle.

This poem was written in one go by Hughes during his bus trip to Mexico. He himself said that it "took ten minutes to a quarter of an hour." The poet talked about the writing process of this poem, from his father's "strange disgust" towards his own people, to his not understanding his father's thoughts because "I am a black man and I like black people very much." Then, the poet talked about the train slowly passing over the iron bridge on the Mississippi River. He thought of the fate of black people from this ancient river, and thought of President Lincoln personally taking a raft down the Mississippi River in order to abolish slavery. New Orleans, and he thought of other rivers in black people's past lives—the Congo, Niger, and Nile in Africa. This is how poetry was born. After reading the complete poem, it is not difficult to see that the poet narrates the entire civilization history of African Americans from "Pangu Kaitian" and African ancestors to becoming African Americans. Black people are an ancient race. They have worked hard on the earth and made contributions to human history. Although this poem does not directly describe the suffering and struggle of black people, it can arouse the national self-esteem and pride of black people, arouse their desire to fight for freedom, and enhance their confidence in fighting for a better future. This poem is written concisely, deeply, and has a slow rhythm, but it contains unfathomable power.

Hughes' poetry draws nourishment from black music and folk songs, and incorporates the rhythm of jazz into free verse. Therefore, his poetry is open and stretched, and the rhythm is as passionate as jazz. His poetry has a fresh style, profound artistic conception, and shocking and touching power. It has had a significant impact on the development of modern black literature in the United States and black African poetry.