Poetry, politics and representation are inherently connected in African American poetry, especially in work produced during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, such as Langston Hughes’s poem Song for a Dark Girl (p1), which this essay will focus on. African American poetry around this time is inescapably political given the historical context of inordinate suffering and discrimination experienced by African Americans. Any art produced by this group emerges from this complex political history and, whether consciously or subconsciously, offers commentary on it. The innately political nature of African American poetry can either be harnessed, W.E.B. Du Bois sees it as “part of the great fight” (Criteria of Negro Art, p1) or rejected: Alain Locke considers the deliberate politicisation of poetry to be detrimental to the pursuit of equality (Art or Propaganda?, pp.1-2). Hughes’s poem is a potent example of inherently political African American poetry in its commenting on lynching. Whilst forcing the reader to confront uncomfortable truths regarding the abhorrent treatment of black people in a white America, the poem simultaneously embraces African American culture in its style and form, which is reminiscent of the blues.
Hughes’s poem formally epitomises the subconscious politics of African American poetry in its structure, which emulates the blues, an important aspect of African American musical history, whilst also being derived from ‘Dixie’ (Dixie, n.2. OED Online), a song considered by many to be the Confederate anthem and therefore holding political connotations. The structural symmetry and stability contrasts with distressing imagery, effectively combining culture and politics. The refrain “way down south in Dixie” (Hughes, Song, 1.1) and repeated parenthesis “(break the heart of me)”(Hughes, Song, 1.2) create a strong rhythm which is at odds with the unpleasant subject matter discussed in the line “bruised body high in air” (Hughes, Song, 1.6), the plosive alliteration and monosyllabic words bluntly delivering the harrowing image. By so vividly describing this lynching Hughes makes the poetic political, using poetic devices to encourage reflection on the unnecessary suffering of African Americans. Du Bois extends this idea of poetic politics by claiming that “all art is propaganda” (Criteria, p.9) supporting the argument that poetry and politics are not only inextricably related, but that, in its self-politicisation, poetry is a tool for change and should be used in this way: “I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda” (Criteria, p.9). In contrast, Locke considers the idea of art as propaganda to be detrimental to the cause; propaganda “perpetuates the position of group inferiority even in crying out against it” (Art, p.1). Instead he calls for “free and purely artistic expression” (Locke, Art, p.2). This seems an impossibility given the political history that is reflected, simply through it having been experienced, in African American poetry: poetry can offer a medium for politics to be artistically expressed. This is certainly apparent in Hughes’s poem which, whilst emotionally delicate in its use of imagery and metaphor, still deals with political issues in a way that invites a desire for change.
Representation is not only important in Hughes poem, but in relation to African American poetry in general. The lack of opportunity for African American artists – Du Bois refers to “a white jury” of publishers (Criteria, p.9) – and the consequent lack of representation in the arts perpetuated a cycle of ignorance and poor representation leading to the rejection of African American poetry by African Americans themselves, as well as Anglo Americans. In Hughes’s poem representation is discussed via descriptions of darkness: notably the “dark girl” in the title is identified primarily by her race, suggesting this is her most important feature. Similarly, her lover is described as “dark young lover” (Hughes, Song, 1.3) the order of the adjectives in this phrase emphasising his race before his age or relationship to the girl. Neither figure is named and so their race is presented as their whole identity, reflective of the way American society viewed race as more important than any other intellectual or physical attribute. In the penultimate line, the repeated ‘n' sound emphasises the harsh image created by Hughes and the vulnerability of the “dark lover” exposed in his nakedness. Jesus’ race is also described in the poem, ‘the white Lord Jesus’ (Hughes, Song, 1.7) echoing the phrase “my dark young lover”. The syllabic connection between the two phrases is undermined by Hughes’s contrasting their racial identities. Nevertheless, Hughes establishes similarities between their deaths in the lines “they hung my dark young lover/—To a cross roads tree” (Song, 1.4). The separation of the words “cross” and “roads” emphasises the “cross”, evoking the image of Jesus being hung on a cross and suggesting that like Jesus, the boy is an innocent and vulnerable victim.
To conclude, politics and representation are intrinsically connected in African American poetry. The racism experienced by African Americans in their pursuit of equality renders any narrative expression of this political. African American poetry can also be viewed as a tool for political change, including increasing representation in the arts. The idea of the ‘New Negro’- reclaiming blackness and its beauty- was reinforced by African American art in the 1920s. Not only did poetry encourage both Anglo and African Americans to embrace African American culture, Du Bois goes as far as saying that “until the art of the black folk compels [sic] recognition they will not be rated as human” (Criteria, p.8). African American poetry is important because of its close relationship with politics and representation and the opportunities such an intertwined relationship offers. This is illustrated in Hughes’s poem, which tackles such issues of politics and representation through a creative medium, provoking a desire for change.
Bibliography
Hughes, Langston. Song for a Dark Girl.
Hughes, Langston. The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.
Du Bois, W. E. B.. Criteria of Negro Art. The Crisis, Vol. 32, pp.290-297
Locke, Alain. Art or Propaganda? Harlem, Vol. I, No.1, November 1928
Dixie, n.2. OED Online, Oxford University Press, June 2017, www.oed.com/view/Entry/56200. Accessed 12.11.2017