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Poetry · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Poetry by Langston Hughes.

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

  1. Chapter 1

    Fairies

    The poem reflects on the ethereal nature of fairies, suggesting they are crafted from the dust of dreams and the colors of old memories, making them marvelous and enchanting beings.

  2. Chapter 2

    Winter Sweetness

    A brief, whimsical poem depicting a small house covered in snow, with a child peeping from its window, evoking a sense of cozy sweetness.

  3. Chapter 3

    Signs of Spring

    A joyful celebration of spring's arrival through vivid imagery of sunshine, blue skies, green trees, gardens, butterflies, gentle winds, a glowing moon, and bird songs.

  4. Chapter 4

    An April Rain Song

    A lyrical celebration of April rain, inviting the reader to embrace its sensory gifts—kisses, lullabies, and playful tunes—and expressing a deep love for the rain's gentle presence on roofs and streets.

  5. Chapter 5

    The Negro Speaks of Rivers

    The speaker reflects on the deep, ancient connection between Black people and the world's great rivers, tracing a lineage from the Euphrates to the Mississippi, and asserting that this heritage has enriched the soul.

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  1. Chapter 6Aunt Sue's Stories
  2. Chapter 7The Lament of a Vanquished Beau
  3. Chapter 8Mister Sandman
  4. Chapter 9Autumn Thought
  5. Chapter 10Thanksgiving Time
  6. Chapter 11The Negro
  7. Chapter 12Question
  8. Chapter 13Mexican Market Woman
  9. Chapter 14The New Moon
  10. Chapter 15To a Dead Friend
  11. Chapter 16My Loves
  12. Chapter 17The South
  13. Chapter 18Laughers
  14. Chapter 19Danse Africaine
  15. Chapter 20After Many Springs
  16. Chapter 21Beggar Boy
  17. Chapter 22Song for a Banjo Dance
  18. Chapter 23Mother to Son
  19. Chapter 24When Sue Wears Red
  20. Chapter 25A Black Pierrot
  21. Chapter 26Justice
  22. Chapter 27Monotony
  23. Chapter 28Dreams
  24. Chapter 29For the Portrait of an African Boy After the Manner of Gauguin
  25. Chapter 30Our Land
  26. Chapter 31The Last Feast of Belshazzar
  27. Chapter 32Young Prostitute
  28. Chapter 33Jazzonia
  29. Chapter 34Shadows
  30. Chapter 35Cabaret
  31. Chapter 36Winter Moon
  32. Chapter 37Young Singer
  33. Chapter 38Prayer Meeting
  34. Chapter 39The Night Is Beautiful
  35. Chapter 40The Little Frightened Child
  36. Chapter 41My Beloved
  37. Chapter 42The White Ones
  38. Chapter 43Grant Park
  39. Chapter 44Gods
  40. Chapter 45Fire-Caught
  41. Chapter 46Song for a Suicide
  42. Chapter 47Prayer for a Winter Night
  43. Chapter 48Lament for Dark Peoples
  44. Chapter 49Fascination
  45. Chapter 50We Have Tomorrow
  46. Chapter 51Mammy
  47. Chapter 52Dream Variation
  48. Chapter 53Afraid
  49. Chapter 54Subway Face
  50. Chapter 55A Song to a Negro Wash-Woman
  51. Chapter 56The Poppy Flower
  52. Chapter 57Troubled Woman
  53. Chapter 58Johannesburg Mines
  54. Chapter 59To Certain Intellectuals
  55. Chapter 60Steel Mills
  56. Chapter 61Negro Dancer
  57. Chapter 62Liars
  58. Chapter 63Sea Charm
  59. Chapter 64The Dream Keeper
  60. Chapter 65Song: Lovely, Dark, and Lonely One
  61. Chapter 66Being Walkers with the Dawn and Morning
  62. Chapter 67An Earth Song
  63. Chapter 68I Too
  64. Chapter 69Drama for Winter Night
  65. Chapter 70God to Hungry Child
  66. Chapter 71Poem to a Dead Soldier
  67. Chapter 72Park Benching
  68. Chapter 73Rising Waters
  69. Chapter 74The Weary Blues
  70. Chapter 75Prayer
  71. Chapter 76To F. S.
  72. Chapter 77America
  73. Chapter 78To Certain “Brothers”
  74. Chapter 79Suicide's Note
  75. Chapter 80Fantasy in Purple
  76. Chapter 81To Midnight Nan at Leroy’s
  77. Chapter 82Young Bridge
  78. Chapter 83The Jester
  79. Chapter 84Soledad
  80. Chapter 85To the Black Beloved
  81. Chapter 86Cross
  82. Chapter 87Summer Night
  83. Chapter 88Disillusion
  84. Chapter 89Jazz Band in a Parisian Cabaret
  85. Chapter 90Minstrel Man
  86. Chapter 91Nude Young Dancer
  87. Chapter 92Songs to the Dark Virgin
  88. Chapter 93Young Sailor
  89. Chapter 94Joy
  90. Chapter 95Strange Hurt She Knew
  91. Chapter 96Star Seeker
  92. Chapter 97Lullaby
  93. Chapter 98Salome
  94. Chapter 99The Ring
  95. Chapter 100Midwinter Blues
  96. Chapter 101Gypsy Man
  97. Chapter 102Ma Man
  98. Chapter 103Love Song for Lucinda
  99. Chapter 104Teacher
  100. Chapter 105Minnie Sings Her Blues
  101. Chapter 106Listen Here Blues
  102. Chapter 107Fortune Teller Blues
  103. Chapter 108Judgment Day
  104. Chapter 109Wide River
  105. Chapter 110Homesick Blues
  106. Chapter 111Ruby Brown
  107. Chapter 112Formula
  108. Chapter 113Autumn Note
  109. Chapter 114For Dead Mimes
  110. Chapter 115New Year
  111. Chapter 116Epitaph
  112. Chapter 117To Beauty
  113. Chapter 118Bound No'th Blues
  114. Chapter 119Lonesome Place
  115. Chapter 120Misery
  116. Chapter 121Bad Luck Card
  117. Chapter 122Feet o’ Jesus
  118. Chapter 123Down an’ Out
  119. Chapter 124Fog
  120. Chapter 125Pictures to the Wall
  121. Chapter 126Walls
  122. Chapter 127Beale Street Love
  123. Chapter 128Dressed Up
  124. Chapter 129A House in Taos
  125. Chapter 130Rain
  126. Chapter 131Sun
  127. Chapter 132Moon
  128. Chapter 133Wind
  129. Chapter 134Suicide
  130. Chapter 135Hard Luck
  131. Chapter 136Po' Boy Blues
  132. Chapter 137Red Roses
  133. Chapter 138Railroad Adventure
  134. Chapter 139Elevator Boy
  135. Chapter 140Stars
  136. Chapter 141Brass Spitoons
  137. Chapter 142The New Cabaret Girl
  138. Chapter 143Saturday Night
  139. Chapter 144The Cat and the Saxophone
  140. Chapter 145To a Little Lover-Lass, Dead
  141. Chapter 146Harlem Night Club
  142. Chapter 147To a Black Dancer in “The Little Savoy”
  143. Chapter 148Blues Fantasy
  144. Chapter 149Lenox Avenue: Midnight
  145. Chapter 150Poème d’Automne
  146. Chapter 151March Moon
  147. Chapter 152As I Grew Older
  148. Chapter 153Harlem Night Song
  149. Chapter 154Ardella
  150. Chapter 155Pierrot
  151. Chapter 156Water-Front Streets
  152. Chapter 157A Farewell
  153. Chapter 158Long Trip
  154. Chapter 159Port Town
  155. Chapter 160Sea Calm
  156. Chapter 161Caribbean Sunset
  157. Chapter 162Natcha
  158. Chapter 163Death of an Old Seaman
  159. Chapter 164Sick Room
  160. Chapter 165To the Dark Mercedes of “El Palacio de Amor”
  161. Chapter 166Mulatto
  162. Chapter 167A Letter to Anne
  163. Chapter 168In the Mist of the Moon
  164. Chapter 169Song: Rocks and the Firm Roots of Trees
  165. Chapter 170For an Indian Screen
  166. Chapter 171Day
  167. Chapter 172Passing Love
  168. Chapter 173Lincoln Monument
  169. Chapter 174Song for a Dark Girl
  170. Chapter 175Gal's Cry for a Dying Lover
  171. Chapter 176Desire
  172. Chapter 177Bulwark
  173. Chapter 178Wise Men
  174. Chapter 179Poem for Youth
  175. Chapter 180The Naughty Child
  176. Chapter 181Mona
  177. Chapter 182Ma Lord
  178. Chapter 183Tapestry
  179. Chapter 184Nocturne for the Drums
  180. Chapter 185Success
  181. Chapter 186Being Old
  182. Chapter 187Montmartre Beggar Woman
  183. Chapter 188I Thought It Was Tangiers I Wanted
  184. Chapter 189Dreamer
  185. Chapter 190Hey!
  186. Chapter 191Hey! Hey!
  187. Chapter 192Bad Man
  188. Chapter 193Closing Time
  189. Chapter 194Prize Fighter
  190. Chapter 195Crap Game
  191. Chapter 196Ballad of Gin Mary
  192. Chapter 197Death of Do Dirty
  193. Chapter 198Porter
  194. Chapter 199Sport
  195. Chapter 200Shout
  196. Chapter 201Fire
  197. Chapter 202Moan
  198. Chapter 203Angels Wings
  199. Chapter 204Sinner
  200. Chapter 205Cora
  201. Chapter 206Workin’ Man
  202. Chapter 207Baby
  203. Chapter 208Evil Woman
  204. Chapter 209A Ruined Gal
  205. Chapter 210Sun Song
  206. Chapter 211Magnolia Flowers
  207. Chapter 212Red Silk Stockings
  208. Chapter 213Young Gal's Blues
  209. Chapter 214Hard Daddy
  210. Chapter 215Sunset—Coney Island
  211. Chapter 216Nonette
  212. Chapter 217Lover's Return
  213. Chapter 218Mazie Dies Alone in the City Hospital
  214. Chapter 219Hurt
  215. Chapter 220Lady in Cabaret
  216. Chapter 221Dear Lovely Death
  217. Chapter 222Flight
  218. Chapter 223Aesthete in Harlem
  219. Chapter 224Anne Spencer's Table
  220. Chapter 225Spring for Lovers
  221. Chapter 226Tower
  222. Chapter 227The English
  223. Chapter 228Afro-American Fragment
  224. Chapter 229Black Seed
  225. Chapter 230Pride
  226. Chapter 231Negro Servant
  227. Chapter 232Merry Christmas
Poetry — Chapters Explained