THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE

POETRY PROJECT

Part 1: Choose a Poet and Poem

While Langston Hughes may be one of the best-known poets of the Harlem Renaissance, there are many
more poets of this movement. Your task will be to choose a poet and ONE of their poems to use for this
project.

Below is a list of poets and some of their more notable poems. Choose a poem that MOST interests
you and that you understand. Do NOT merely choose a poem because of its length — sometimes short
poems are more complex than longer poems!

Highlight the poem and author you have chosen.

Langston Hughes Countee Cullen

● When Will V-Day be Me-Day Too? ● Harlem Wine
● Mother to Son
● I Look at the World Gwendolyn Bennett
● As I Grew Older ● Heritage

James Weldon Johnson Helene Johnson

● To America ● Sonnet to a Negro in Harlem
● My City ● My Race

Claude McKay Fenton Johnson

● To One Coming North ● Tired

Georgia Douglas Johnson

● Common Dust
● Old Black Men
● Brotherhood

** If you have found a different poet and poem, you must have it approved by your teacher. Write the
poet name and poem here:

Part 2: Research the Poet

Once you have chosen your poet and poem, research the poet using the prompts below.

Find an image of your poet and put it in this box: Basic Biography:

Name: James Weldon Johnson

Born (when and where): Born in Jacksonville,

Florida on June 17, 1871.

Died: (when and where): Died in Wiscasset, Maine

when a train hit his car on June 26,1938.

Image source link:

IN YOUR OWN WORDS: What are 3 main events or details of their life?

● Wrote many important poems that focused on African American culture and life and won awards
for his work that inspired many others to write poems on the topic.
● Wrote the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” which became known as the “Negro National
Anthem”. He was also a huge activist for African American rights that played a huge role in
advocating for them during the first world war.
● He was one of the first African American to be admitted to the Florida Bar Association and
started his own law practice.

IN YOUR OWN WORDS: Describe their poetry/writing: What are they best known for? What are the
main themes or ideas? What was their style like?

A majority of Johnson’s poems focused on African American culture and lifestyle. His poetry books and
songs were very popular among African Americans and his work is very historically significant. When
living in New York a lot of his work was focused on the culture there along with the city life. Johnson is
known for pioneering “Black Poetry” and he used many different types of style.

List any 3 titles of their writing (poetry, books, essays, etc.):

1. The Book of American Negro Poetry

2. The Song “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
3. The Poem “ My City”

Links to sources for this section: https://poets.org/poet/james-weldon-johnson

Part 3: Analyze the Poem

Copy your poem into the space below. Then, using the prompt questions below, analyze the poem.

Use can this poetry terms resource to help.

PLEASE reformat the poem if the font is ginormous or the spacing makes it twelve pages long. If you're
having issues with formatting, please ask your teacher for assistance

Summarize/paraphrase the poem: What is it

COPY POEM HERE
about? (In the most literal, basic sense.)

When I come down to sleep death's endless
night,
The threshold of the unknown dark to cross,
What to me then will be the keenest loss,
When this bright world blurs on my fading
sight?
Johnson is questioning what will be the most
important thing he loses when he eventually dies.
He thinks about whether it will be the trees or
birds and nature in general. He then expresses
that the thrill of Manhattan will be the most tragic
loss. That he will never see the tall buildings and
thrill that comes from the city. He ends the poem
by emphasizing the tragedy and pity of never
experiencing his beautiful city ever again.

Will it be that no more I shall see the trees What is the theme of the poem? (What is the
poem's message?)
Or smell the flowers or hear the singing birds
The theme that Johnson is presenting is that of the
beauty and importance of Manhattan in his life. He
Or watch the flashing streams or patient
compares the city to nature and in his eyes there is
herds? no competition in what is more important to him.
No, I am sure it will be none of these.
Choose a line from the poem and highlight it in
yellow. Discuss the significance of the line below:
● How does it contribute to the meaning of
But, ah! Manhattan's sights and sounds, her the poem as a whole?
● How does the poet use language and/or
smells,
poetic devices to convey meaning?
(Consider: tone, diction, figurative
Her crowds, her throbbing force, the thrill
language, imagery, etc.)
that comes
This line is giving context for what the poem is
From being of her a part, her subtle spells,about and how he feels about the idea of death. He
uses the phrase “death’s endless night” to
Her shining towers, her avenues, her slums— dramatize the idea of death and give a negative
connotation.
O God! the stark, unutterable pity,

To be dead, and never again behold my city!

Choose a line from the poem and highlight it in
green. Discuss the significance of the line below:
● How does it contribute to the meaning of
the poem as a whole?
● How does the poet use language and/or
poetic devices to convey meaning?
(Consider: tone, diction, figurative
language, imagery, etc.)

This line is asking the question that is answered

throughout the rest of the poem. This line is giving
context for the rest of the poem and is the
underlying question. He uses “keenest loss” to
show that what he is talking about will be what is
most important to him.

Choose a line from the poem and highlight it in

blue. Discuss the significance of the line below:
● How does it contribute to the meaning of
the poem as a whole?
● How does the poet use language and/or
poetic devices to convey meaning?
(Consider: tone, diction, figurative
language, imagery, etc.)
This line is where he shows his love for Manhattan
and what it means to him. He uses words such as
Sights, Signs, and Smells to help the reader
imagine the beauty and elegance of the City that
he loves so much.

Link to poem source: https://poets.org/poem/my-city

Part 4: Reading Poetry Through a Historical Lens

Using your knowledge of the Harlem Renaissance and the poems we explored in class, make
connections to your poem for this project to its historical context.

In 5-6 sentences, discuss how this poem reflects the social issues and/or historical context of the
Harlem Renaissance.

Johnson expresses his love and passion for the city of Manhattan and that it means to him. This love was
shared by so many artists and people who experienced the city in this time period. The beauty of the
city inspired so many of the works that made up the Harlem renaissance. His dread of losing the city is
likely a feeling shared by many of his peers who also took inspiration from the vast city. Johnson
expresses the importance of the city to what the Harlem renaissance was and the culture it created.

Skill Not Yet Foundational Proficient Advanced

Biography Some details, Detailed, relevant, Demonstrates an

relevance, or and objectively in-depth outlook of
accuracy as it accurate. Includes the author’s life that
relates to the most significant benefits the reading
author’s life. facts of the author’s of the poem.
life.

Explication Demonstrates the Accurately Demonstrates a

meaning of demonstrates the complex analysis of
individual lines. meaning of individual lines.
individual lines;
including
poetic/literary
devices in
explicating the
poem.

Theme Write a theme Accurately format Demonstrates a

statement. theme statement. complex
understanding of the
Demonstrates an symbolic or
understanding of metaphorical
the symbolic or meaning of the text.
metaphorical
meaning of the text.

Analysis Discusses the poem Articulates Demonstrates a

and the Harlem implications or the complex outlook of
Renaissance. significance of the the implications or
poem as it relates to the significance.
the historical
context of the
Harlem
Renaissance.

Conventions Shows evidence of Follows assignment Shows evidence of

basic proofreading. organization. careful proofreading.

Shows evidence of
proofreading.