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Langston Hughes had many influences in his life that is reflected in his work. Every author has a muse for his\her writings because he\she is inspired differently by a number of things. Influence and inspiration are relatively the same, they both affect a person. How that person is affected is the way he\she perceives and feels about it. Hughes was influenced by several things. One of which was a famous poet named Walt Whitman. Other things that influenced Hughes were racism, music, and ironically his own depression.

Langston Hughes was particularly inspired by Walt Whitman so much so that he took Whitman’s book, Leaves of Grass, with him when he traveled to Africa in the early 1920s , and edited a collection of Whitman's work in 1946. Hughes was first introduced to Walt Whitman’s work in his 8th grade English class. In Hughes junior year, he published his first poem in free verse, one that showed the clear influence of Walt Whitman for the first.
Langston Hughes was one of the great writers of his time. He was named the ?most renowned African American poet of the 20th century? (McLaren). Through his writing he made many contributions to following generations by writing about African American issues in creative ways including the use of blues and jazz. Langston Hughes captured the scene of Harlem life in the early 20th century significantly influencing American Literature. He once explained that his writing was an attempt to ?explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America? (Daniel 760). To fulfill this task, he wrote 15 volumes of poetry, six novels, three books, 11 plays, and a variety of non-fiction work (Daniel 760). He also edited over 50 books in his time (McKay).
James Mercer Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri February 1, 1902. He grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. His life was hard when he was young; his parents were separated with little money to go around, and he was very lonely. ?Po?......
The period of the Harlem Renaissance was a time...