Black poetry and African American poetry are genres of literature that draw inspiration from musical traditions and are tied to the experiences of African Americans in America. The first black poem was written by Lucy Terry in 1746, while the first book of black poetry was written by Phillis Wheatley in 1773. Blues and jazz poetry are subgenres of black poetry, with Langston Hughes being a noted practitioner of both. The Harlem Renaissance was a flowering of black poetry in the early 20th century, influenced by the Negritude movement and Marxist values.
Black poetry refers to poems written by African Americans in the United States of America. Black African poetry refers to African poetry and is a distinct area of the genre, although some African poets have influenced America. It is a subsection of African American literature filled with cadence, purposeful repetition, and alliteration.
African American poetry predates the written word and is tied to a rich oral tradition. Like fiction, black poetry draws inspiration from musical traditions such as gospel, blues, jazz, and rap. The poems are inextricably linked to the experiences of African Americans through their history in America, from slavery to segregation and the equal rights movement.
The first poem written was by Lucy Terry in 1746. Her poem, “Bar Fight,” however, was not published until 1855. The first book of black poetry was written by Phillis Wheatley in 1773, just two years before the American Revolution . Wheatley was taken to court soon after publishing her poems to prove that a black person was capable of writing such fine poetry. Those poems went on to influence early American leaders like George Washington.
Blues poetry draws much of its inspiration from the oral tradition of black poetry. The themes of this type of black poetry revolve around struggles, despair and sex, but also show the resilient side of the community. The basic blues poem opens with a statement, is followed by a variation on the theme and then the third line offers an ironic alternative. Examples of blues poets include James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes.
Hughes was also a noted practitioner of jazz poetry. Like his blues counterpart, he is inspired by music. Their difference, apart from the musical style from which they draw, is how in tune with jazz the poets of jazz are. It is a genre born out of an appreciation of jazz. Related to the beat movement, top jazz poets include Thelonius Monk and Amiri Baraka.
After World War I, Southern black communities began migrating north to major cities such as Chicago and New York City in search of better working and living conditions. The migration also gave birth to a flowering of black poetry known as the Harlem Renaissance. Poets such as Claude McKay illustrated the movement’s themes of pride, poverty, racism and anger. In 1950, Harlem Renaissance poet Gwendolyn Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize.
The Harlem Renaissance influenced new generations of poets and poetic movements. It was directly influenced by the Negritude movement from the French-speaking colonies, which rejected European colonialism. It mixed black pride with Marxist values. In turn, both have influenced movements such as the Dark Room Collective and poetry slam competitions.
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