Afro-American Fragment
So long,
So far away
Is Africa.
Not even memories alive
Save those that history books create,
Save those that songs
Beat back into the blood--
Beat out of blood with words sad-sung
In strange un-Negro tongue--
So long,
So far away
Is Africa.
Subdued and time-lost
Are the drums--and yet
Through some vast mist of race
There comes this song
I do not understand,
This song of atavistic land,
Of bitter yearnings lost
Without a place--
So long,
So far away
Is Africa's
Dark face.
-- Langston Hughes --
from Selected Poems of Langston Hughes
Excellent poem, Fred. I like how Hughes says the memories are stirred up by the songs - it preserves the memory of Africa. I take it he means the African-influenced music and songs like Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals. It makes me hear that music in a different way, now. Thank you for posting this!
ReplyDeleteCheryl,
ReplyDeleteYes, music does play an important role here. In fact, one might almost see the poem as a blues song.
What timing. We just watched the one man play Thurgood about Thurgood Marshall. Langston Hughes is mention numerous times in it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this-not long ago I read and posted on what I think is his most famous short story "thank you m'am"
ReplyDeleteScott,
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of any connection between them. Was it a personal relationship or did they use Hughes' poetry as background for mood or theme setting?
mel u,
ReplyDeleteI've never looked at any of Hughes' fiction as best as I can remember, as I'm only familiar with his poetry, and not very familiar at that. These posts on his poetry are actually an eye-opener for me.
I should look around for his fiction.
Here's a link to that short story "Thank you, M'am".
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/2xrrfc
Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. I'll check it out.