The Weary Blue is a poem that draws together multiple art forms into a piece of literature that conveys the mood of a specific demographic, from a period of time. Langston Hughes creates a piece of literature that is culturally significant, in a time of greater wider prosperity, however touches on those less fortunate.
Art is a medium of transferring information that is pertinent to contemporary society. Holding a mirror to the issues that plague societies, the mood and attitude of wider societies, and val
ues and beliefs held in regard to a society, this is what The Weary Blues as a poem conveys to the reader. Written in 1925, the roaring twenties, a time of prosperity, excess, and living large. Langston Hughes holds up a mirror to 1920s society via a piece of literature that combines blues music in a poem. “I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan – Ain’t got nobody in all this world, Ain’t got nobody but ma self.” A sad song, indicative of a people and a demographic that is going through rough times. Rampant in history, racism in the traditional sense of the word, plagued American society in the 20th century. “He Slept Like a rock or man that’s dead”, the final line of the poem, it tells metaphorically that the music drains the old man. The mood and attitude of wider society is conveyed through this line. It is not the music itself that drains the old man, but rather the music allows him to express and release the struggles and sorrows of his life, channel through art, music. This is the function of art, it allows people to reflect on their life, express their life. People can relate to art imposing their own life in the context of a piece of art. As such it tells a broader story on the society that these people live in. The art a society produces is telling to the direction, values, and beliefs held by the society. Blues music is typically associated with sadness or melancholy, expressing emotions rather than storytelling. The poem comes in a time where black intellectualism is on the rise in the United States, as a direct result of Art. Allowing people to recognize the problems of their people and make changes for the betterment, as such the role of Langston Hughes and The Weary Blues is one of great cultural significance, contributing to the revival of black intellectualism. The intellectual is the backbone of communities, families, and businesses in a civilized society, drawing inspiration from art, that is the power of art.
https://poets.org/poem/weary-blues
Desire and temptation are strong human emotions that require a strong mind to overcome. Giving in on a consistent basis is an indication that some
one is a slave to their own mind. A force for good or destruction, desire and temptation can motivate people to strive for achievement and success, or lead to destructive behaviors. It all comes down to delayed gratification. Sacrificing the present for a future pay off. On the flip side, sacrificing the future for the present.
There is a story from Homer Odyssey, in which there is a Captain of a ship. The captain knows the course the ship is taking will have Sirens upon their path. “the song that forces men to leap overboard in squa-
drons even though they see the beached skulls.” This excerpt from Margaret Atwood’s, Siren Song tells of the consequences of hearing the songs of Sirens. As such the Captain of the ship plugs the ears of his crew with wax so as to not hear a thing. The Captain, falling to temptation, wanting to hear the song, has his crew tie him to the mast of the ship. Tied to the mass, the ship will not deviate from its course, as to not follow the Sirens songs. This story from Homer’s Odyssey can be taken that temptation is powerful, a slippery slope. A foolish decision, however the future was taken into account, still foolish. Did the ship’s crew die or make it through, who knows, what is certain is that temptation and desire is powerful. Without a sacrifice for the future you can fall down the slippery slope, it is dangerous. The best course is to not expose yourself to temptation and desire that is destructive in nature. In Siren Song, the author talks from the Sirens perspective. The Siren’s can not stop their bloodlust, at the same time they wish to escape from their “bird suits.” Conflicted they are slaves to their own desires and temptations, until to quell their bloodlust in favor of freeing themselves. A cautionary tale of falling all the way down the slippery slope.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/32778/siren-song
Dear Chad,
The Weary Blues has to be one of my favorite poems, and I appreciate your analysis of it! This poem was written in a time of great cultural change for African Americans in the United States, and the tone of the poem shows, as you mentioned, the mental state of the people. After years of oppression, all they can do is passively submit to the “weary blues” of their lives.
I liked your line, “It is not the music itself that drains the old man, but rather the music allows him to express and release the struggles and sorrows of his life, the channel through art, music.” because it gave me a new perspective! I had initially assumed that the blues represent his lack of action, but the very act of putting his sadness into concrete lyrics gives power to African American to take claim of their past history through emotion.
For improvement, I would have appreciated a longer piece with more detail on other lines that add to your argument of how the poem had greater meaning in the context of the 1920s.
I wish you the best for next year!
Nazeefa