The Weary Blues
Poetry
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Langston Hughes
The Weary Blues Poem
The Weary Blues
By Langston Hughes
Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,
Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,
I heard a Negro play.
Down on Lenox Avenue the other night
By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light
He did a lazy sway. . . .
He did a lazy sway. . . .
To the tune o’ those Weary Blues.
With his ebony hands on each ivory key
He made that poor piano moan with melody.
O Blues!
Swaying to...
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The Weary Blues Quotations
Quotes
“He made that poor piano moan with melody.”
Exp: The piano is described as if it can cry (moan).
This shows the sadness and deep feeling in his music. His playing makes the piano sound like it is sharing his pain.
“Sweet Blues!
Coming from a black man’s soul.”
Exp: The “sweet blues” means the music is both sad and beautiful. It comes from the heart and soul of the black man.
“I heard...
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The Weary Blues Summary
The poem describes a night when the speaker hears a Black musician playing the piano on Lenox Avenue in Harlem. The music is slow, sad, and sleepy, with a jazzy rhythm. The man sways back and forth while playing. The weak gas light makes the scene look even more lonely and quiet. The music he plays is the “Weary Blues,” a kind of blues song that expresses tiredness and sadness.
The speaker notices...
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The Weary Blues Theme
Themes
Suffering and the Power of Music : In this poem, we see the loneliness, sadness, and frustration of the black Americans. The poet hears a Black musician playing the piano on Lenox Avenue in Harlem. The music is slow, sad, and sleepy. The singer sings:
“I ain’t happy no mo’
And I wish that I had died.”
These lines reveal the emotional pain caused by poverty, racism, and loneliness. Yet, e...
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The Weary Blues Literary Device
Symbols
Music : Hughes uses the symbol of blues music to show both pain and hope of the African-American race. The black musician sings that he has nobody in the world, only himself.
“Ain’t got nobody in all this world.”
The Black musician plays “Weary Blues.” The blues are more than a song. It symbolizes the sadness, struggle, and weariness of African Americans. But at the same time, music also...
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Notes
Explore 1 detailed note related to The Weary Blues. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.