“Why are you reading a book of poems?”, asked the high school senior. Well, that’s a fair question, brother. I had taught this student in various classes over the years. In my typical way of teaching, I turned our conversation into a critical thinking exercise. This left our teenage dude mentally slipping into the hedges of his mind. He probably also wanted to get away from me and towards someone talking about something in his area of expertise. However, much to my surprise, he kept asking me questions about Langston Hughes Melodies of the Weary Blues: Classic Poems Illustrated for Young People.
“So, what’s up with that book?”, he asked. This high school student was certainly inferring as to why a book clearly meant for elementary school kids was in the cafeteria. We had a brief conversation about Langston Hughes. Thankfully, this student had an inkling as to who Langston Hughes was. I say, thankfully, because that particular student had his Harlem Renaissance modules last year with me. And while he didn’t remember the specifics, there was a spark of acknowledgement when I jogged his memory.
“Oh yeah, he was that Harlem poet.” Again, our high school student was correct. In his class, we had covered I, Too, and Let America Be America Again. My personal favorite was the latter because it jived closer to the other poets in the lesson. Moreover, its earnest optimism and sense of hope is realistically tinged with the disappointment of its shortcomings.
That poem is not in Melodies of the Weary Blues. I suspect that it’s too long to be included on two pages that are in an illustrated book. There are 23 poems from Langston Hughes paired with rich, age-appropriate art. Melodies of the Weary Blues takes its title from Hughes’ first published book of poetry from 1926, The Weary Blues.
Poetry is not exactly a go-to medium for kids of any age to read. It’s that fact that makes Melodies of the Weary Blues accessible to young audiences. The illustrations are varied, from 23 different illustrators and match the spirit and vibe of Hughes’ poetry. They gel with the poems despite the illustrations being different and having their own unique style.
The Weary Blues is illustrated by Dominique Ramsey and has a wandering, dreamy vibe on a rainy day. Water-Front Streets by Aaron Martin is more realistic, with a folk-art feel of dock workers on a busy day.
“I do remember that Raven poem”, the student said. I explained to him that The Raven was Edgar Allen Poe, who is the default Gothic guy. I continued “Hughes was Harlem…”, “Renaissance, yeah, yeah”, the clearly hungry student said in an effort to extinguish this conversation. “So why did they make a book of this guy’s poetry for little kids?”, he asked as his final Jeopardy question.
Ah, finally, the punch line. I asked this 17-year-old when he first read Langston Hughes. He confirmed that it was in ELA, last year with me. I congratulated him on being correct. I followed that up with an open-ended question that put a period on our subversive critical thinking conversation. If you were a seven-year old kid, would you like these illustrations? Would your elementary school class. room to enjoy story time with short poems and great art? Do you think the 10-year-old you would be more or less open to enjoying and possibly writing poetry if you were exposed to it earlier?
That is the reason for Melodies of the Weary Blues: Classic Poems Illustrated for Young People. It’s the poetry Trojan Horse for ages six and up. Come for the illustrations, stay for the poetry. It’s a lyrical story, with fabulous illustrations from a key literary figure those students will engage with again within a decade. Yeah, a decade is a long time, but some of those who encounter Hughes’ work when they’re young, might catch the bug and start their Harlem Renaissance period quicker than others.
Melodies of the Weary Blues: Classic Poems Illustrated for Young People-A Picture Book Combining Vibrant Art and Poetry for Kids is by Langston Hughes, compiled by Shamar Knight-Justice and feature art from 23 different illustrators. It’s available on Harper Collins Children’s Books, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers.
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