Don't come giving me, who's old enough to die and too near blind to create anything any more anyhow, a great big banquet that you eat up in honor of your own stomachs as much as in honor of me- who's toothless and can't eat.
Langston Hughes
Aging, Recognition, Hypocrisy, Social Critique, Personal Dignity
Langston Hughes’s Quotes On Topics
Gender Roles | Introspection | Optimism | Personal Empowerment | Racial Relations | Persistence | Appearance | Social Metaphor | Emotional State | Personal Dignity | Privilege | Artistic Process | Activism | Media Representation | Compassion | Harlem | Human Nature | Blindness | Cultural Awareness | Artistic Philosophy | More
More Langston Hughes Quotes
“Hang yourself, poet, in your own words. Otherwise, you are dead.” Langston Hughes
Poetry, Authenticity, Artistic Integrity, Self-expression, Creative Challenge
Langston Hughes Poetry, Authenticity, Artistic Integrity, Self-expression, Creative Challenge“One of the great difficulties about being a member of a minority race is that so many kindhearted, well-meaning bores gather around to help.” Langston Hughes
Racism, Patronization, Minorities, Social Critique, Personal Frustration
Langston Hughes Racism, Patronization, Minorities, Social Critique, Personal Frustration“Harriet Tubman lived to see the harvest.” Langston Hughes
Civil Rights, Historical Figures, Progress, Emancipation, African American History
Langston Hughes Civil Rights, Historical Figures, Progress, Emancipation, African American History“Keep your hand on the plow. Hold on.” Langston Hughes
Perseverance, Determination, Resilience, Encouragement, Metaphor
Langston Hughes Perseverance, Determination, Resilience, Encouragement, Metaphor“There are some very stupid men in the capitals of the Western World – the more stupid because they think they are so wise. It would seem to me that almost anybody would know by now that colored peoples do not like to be ruled by outside forces, Jim Crowed, segregated, told what to do by aliens, and in general kicked around.” Langston Hughes
Colonialism, Racism, Western Arrogance, Social Criticism, Global Politics
Langston Hughes Colonialism, Racism, Western Arrogance, Social Criticism, Global Politics“Words Like Freedom There are words like Freedom Sweet and wonderful to say. On my heartstrings freedom sings All day everyday. There are words like Liberty That almost make me cry. If you had known what I know You would know why.” Langston Hughes
Freedom, Poetry, Emotion, Personal Experience, Social Commentary
Langston Hughes Freedom, Poetry, Emotion, Personal Experience, Social Commentary“Jazz, to me, is one of the inherent expressions of Negro life in America: the eternal tom-tom beating in the Negro soul—the tom-tom of revolt against weariness in a white world, a world of subway trains, and work, work, work; the tom-tom of joy and laughter, and pain swallowed in a smile.” Langston Hughes
Jazz, Resilience, African American, Cultural Expression, Emotional Complexity
Langston Hughes Jazz, Resilience, African American, Cultural Expression, Emotional Complexity“Life is a egg you have to be patient and carefull with it or it will brake.” Langston Hughes
Life, Patience, Care, Metaphor, Wisdom
Langston Hughes Life, Patience, Care, Metaphor, Wisdom“Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it, what you wish in your secret heart were not funny, but it is, and you must laugh. Humor is your own unconscious therapy. Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air, and you.” Langston Hughes
Humor, Resilience, Therapy, Self-reflection, Emotional Healing
Langston Hughes Humor, Resilience, Therapy, Self-reflection, Emotional Healing“A dog gets lonesome just like a human. He wants to associate with other dogs, but when they take him out, the poor dog is on a leash and cannot run around.” Langston Hughes
Loneliness, Freedom, Dog, Human Nature, Lonely Dog
Langston Hughes Loneliness, Freedom, Dog, Human Nature, Lonely Dog“I loved my friend He went away from me There's nothing more to say The poem ends, Soft as it began- I loved my friend.” Langston Hughes
Friendship, Loss, Love, Simplicity, Poetic Expression
Langston Hughes Friendship, Loss, Love, Simplicity, Poetic Expression“I would like to see an America where people of any race, color or creed may live on a plane of cultural, material well-being, cooperating unhindered by sectarian, racial, or factional prejudices that do nobody any good.” Langston Hughes
Equality, Cooperation, Social Justice, Idealism, Diversity
Langston Hughes Equality, Cooperation, Social Justice, Idealism, Diversity“Everybody should take each other as they are, white, black, Indians, Creole. Then there would be no prejudice, nations would get along.” Langston Hughes
Racial Harmony, Acceptance, Diversity, Peace, Ideal World
Langston Hughes Racial Harmony, Acceptance, Diversity, Peace, Ideal World“The depression brought everybody down a peg or two. And the Negro had but few pegs to fall.” Langston Hughes
Depression, Inequality, Racial Commentary, Economic Struggle, Social Critique
Langston Hughes Depression, Inequality, Racial Commentary, Economic Struggle, Social Critique“Politics in any country in the world is dangerous. For the poet, politics in any country had better be disguised as poetry. Politics can be the graveyard of the poet. And only poetry can be his resurrection.” Langston Hughes
Politics, Poetry, Danger, Artistic Survival, Creative Expression
Langston Hughes Politics, Poetry, Danger, Artistic Survival, Creative Expression“Life for me has not been a crystal stair.” Langston Hughes
Struggle, Adversity, Perseverance, Metaphor, Life Journey
Langston Hughes Struggle, Adversity, Perseverance, Metaphor, Life Journey“Black like me - a Negro with a white skin - can only get so far.” Langston Hughes
Racial Identity, Social Limitations, Prejudice, Appearance, Irony
Langston Hughes Racial Identity, Social Limitations, Prejudice, Appearance, Irony