Harlem Renaissance (1918-1935)

Harlem Renaissance (1918-1935) Take the A Train by Duke Ellington Harlem Renaissance (1918-1935) A flowering of African American art, literature, music and culture in the United States led primarily by the African American community based in Harlem, New York City.

Characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance Creative expression – not just in literature but also music and art Intellectualism - a "spiritual emancipation" for the African American community and the opportunity to reshape the African American heritage as an intellectual one equal to whites

Characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance Prevalent Themes: Love of God Identity issues Racial Pride Desperation and/or sadness and hopelessness Openly addresses discrimination

Music New Orleans Blues By Jelly Roll Morton Jazz Brass and woodwind instruments with trumpets, trombones and saxophones playing lead parts Characterized by intricate leads and accidentals Complex chords, syncopated rhythms Improvised solos

Music Big Band or Swing No microphones meant that musicians increased band size to increase sound Used composers and arrangers

Notable Musicians

Notable Artists Café, William H. Johnson Renaissance Suite By Stephen Scott Trio Notable Artists Café, William H. Johnson

Aspects of Negro Life By Aaron Douglas Abstract CityScape by Charles Alston

Jeunesse by Palmer Hayden The Janitor Who Paints by Palmer Hayden The Seamstress by Jacob Lawrence

Notable Writers Zora Neale Hurston was always interested in writing, and during the Harlem Renaissance, she befriended some very famous writers, such as Langston Hughes. By 1937, she had published a handful of short stories, articles, as well as the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. - historyoftheharlemrenaissance.com

Countee Cullen thought long and hard in his poems about his own and collective African-American identity. Some of his strongest poems question the benevolence of a Creator who has bestowed a race with such mixed blessings. – poets.org

Langston Hughes is one of the most well known names of the Harlem Renaissance. He was a writer, whose pieces ranged from novels, to plays. He wrote short stories, children’s books, translations, and anthologies as well. However, his most well known pieces were his poems. - historyoftheharlemrenaissance.com

(Words that I expect you already know, and we don’t need to review: protagonist, symbol, theme, flashback, tone, imagery, allusion, metaphor, simile, personification, foreshadowing) Local Color- is an element in fiction and poetry that collectively focuses on the dialect, customs, and colloquialisms of the characters as well topography, and other features particular to a specific region. Local color establishes authenticity of regional characters, may include seemingly insignificant details of the region. Great writers: Harper Lee, Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, Brett Harte

Dialect- A representation of the speech patterns of a particular region or social group, distinguished by variations of accent, grammar, or vocabulary. Dialect, naturally, changes from location to location. In Syracuse, we say cray-yon, not crown In New Jersey, my sister-in-law is MaryBeth, not MaryBeth. Many Marylanders say “warter” for water and “Warshington” for Washington I “sawl” a deer run across the road Crick vs. creek Peeecan/pecan Carmel/caramel Ball tee more, Merlin = Baltimore, Maryland

Colloquial language- informal expression whose usage is inappropriate for formal writing and/or localized to a particular area and not in general use. “The character is gonna seek revenge…” “Y’all” used most down south…connotes a familiarity between subjects, making it inappropriate for formal writing Long Sandwiches…most people call them “subs”, but in the northwest region, they are called “grinders” or “hoagies” In NY, you get “proofed” for an alcoholic beverage, but in MD, you get “carded” or “ID’d” After a long night out, we would all go get a garbage plate. Soda vs. Pop “Inside the beltway” “Mixing Bowl” The “green box”

Cool Maps about Language and Colloquialisms: http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6?op=1 Video about Colloquialisms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXGuCaApR7U