Celebration of African American-Influenced Art
By Mr. Weimann, Willow Lane
February/Black History Month
Where did the musical genre,
BLUES come from?
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Letting Off Steam
What Does That Mean?
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If a person is down or feels badly, it is common to
tell others; letting it off your chest. Pressure or stress;
pain or depression can cause a person to feel
hopeless as if life was only bad, and isn’t going to get
any better. For relief, people who feel this way will
share their feelings. You might have done this when
you did not feel well, like when you have a cold or are
sick or if you hurt yourself. Often times the person
that you tell cannot do much of anything to help you
feel better. Just communicating your pain makes you
feel better. Why?
Sharing is like letting off steam. The traditional train
whistle was created from steam moving very quickly through a
small opening. This steam came from a steam engine that
caused the train’s wheels to turn. Steam engines are very
different from gasoline-powered engines. You don’t just turn
them on and start driving. A steam engine is a lot more work.
The engineer has to manage exactly how much steam there is
at all times. If there is not enough, the engine will be too weak
to work. If there is too much, the engine is in danger of
exploding. The latter of these two scenarios, or situations, is
where the train whistle comes into play. The train conductor or
engineer would pull a rope that allowed some of the steam out
of the engine in order to maintain the perfect amount of
pressure.
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Seeking Sympathy Through Sharing
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In the same way a locomotive engine could be
damaged if pressure were not released through allowing
steam to escape, people who have bottled up emotions
might become hurt if they don’t share those feelings. They
could begin to feel so down and sad that nothing would
cheer them up. (This is called depression.) (It is natural,
healthy, and beneficial then to tell others of your feelings
before they become too overwhelming.)
When someone listens to another person’s pitiful
story the listener is helping the sad person bear a
burden; shoulder the pain. It is as if the sad person
has a heavy load that is weighing him or her down,
and the listener holds up the back of it to lessen some
of the weight, make it lighter, relieve some pressure.
He or she cannot take the burden away,
unfortunately, but just by listening, he or she allows
the burdensome person to blow off steam.
Just as trains do not toot their
whistle only once, people tend to share
their feelings more than once. They tell
as many people as possible as many
times as necessary. Why? What are
they looking to gain? Sympathy is pity
or sorrow for someone else. It is also a
shared understanding of another’s
misfortune. Why would this be sought?
What is good about sympathy? When
pain is shared, it is more manageable.
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A Good Listener
Lightens the
Load.
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You know who felt very depressed
and hopeless, with good reason?
Slaves.
Africans were taken from their homes and families, brought across the
Atlantic ocean through often perilous journeys, sold to slave owners, and forced
to live a life of captivity and subjugation for no reason except that they were
black-skinned. They had to do whatever they were told. They could not do
what they wanted or go where they wanted. It was like living in prison, but
worse! People in prison earn or deserve their punishment. Slaves were stolen
from either their land or their families and forced to work for their owners
because of no other reason than that they had a dark skin color.
Slaves felt hopeless. Nothing was going to change. They felt held down,
chained down, imprisoned in their predicament. Some slave owners were so
heartless and mean that they had the slaves that they owned labor all alone, so
that talking to others would not slow down progress. In this way, the depressed
slaves did not even have another human being to share burdens with. Perhaps
you think that they could have journaled their thoughts and feelings.
Sometimes writing down your emotions in either a poem or diary entry helps a
person blow off steam. Well, the slaves were purposefully kept from receiving
an education. They could not talk about their plight with anyone, and they
could not write about their predicament. What were they to do?
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There is a
term for
feeling “down
and out”.
BLUE.
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African American Slaves
Invented The Blues.
African men and women, forced to work against their will, prohibited from
sharing their thoughts and feelings with other human beings would sing their
feelings to the nature around them. Using rhythmic beats from their native
homeland, these men and women sang their sorrow for whatever would listen:
the air, the earth, the wind and rain, and the plants around them. It was a call
for nature’s ear; for her to listen and show sympathy on poor sorrowful souls.
Slavery did end, of course, but that did not fix everything for African
Americans. Even though people were no longer allowed to own other human
beings, former slaves (black people) were treated REALLY BAD. They were
not allowed some of the same normal privileges and rights as American
citizens. They couldn’t vote. They were not given an equal educational
opportunity. They were free but not equal. This caused African Americans to
remain blue.
The singing of blues songs went from the field to the street as black people
struggled to find work in cities. White-skinned business owners would not hire
African Americans just because of the darkness of their complexion. As blues
music was witnessed by a larger and larger audience, it became more and
more popular. Many people could empathize with the singers and their songs.
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Others found the sorrowful music soothing.
As Blues became increasingly popular, the
style was borrowed and used by white
artists. Also, rather than singing the
blues for its original purpose of
“letting off steam”, musicians
were composing and
producing music
for money.
This is known as commercialization.
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“Note on Commercial Theater”
by Langston Hughes
You've taken my blues and gone-You sing 'em on Broadway
And you sing 'em in Hollywood Bowl,
And you mixed 'em up with symphonies
And you fixed 'em
So they don't sound like me.
Yep, you done taken my blues and gone.
Born in Missouri in 1902, Langston Hughes was a
highly educated and talented African American who
celebrated his cultural heritage through writing. He moved
to Harlem to witness and promote the Harlem Renaissance,
an explosion of African American art. Hughes studied the
greatest poets of all time, and then wrote his own for and to
his African American brothers and sisters. His style
incorporates the complexity of high poetry while crafting
verses that the most novice reader may understand and
appreciate. He is most famous for using African American
musical genres like jazz, blues, and spirituals to create
rhythm and style in his literature.
You also took my spirituals and gone.
You put me in MacBeth and Carmen Jones
And all kinds of Swing Mikados
And in everything but what's about me-But someday somebody'll
Stand up and talk about me,
And write about me-Black and beautiful-And sing about me,
And put on plays about me!
I reckon it'll be
Me myself!
Yes, it'll be me.
wikipedia on this poem
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“The
“The Weary
Weary Blues”
Blues”
Droning
Droning aa drowsy
drowsy syncopated
syncopated tune,
tune,
Rocking
Rocking back
back and
and forth
forth to
to aa mellow
mellow croon,
croon,
II heard
heard aa Negro
Negro play.
play.
Down
Down on
on Lenox
Lenox Avenue
Avenue the
the other
other night
night
By
By the
the pale
pale dull
dull pallor
pallor of
of an
an old
old gas
gas light
light
He
He did
did aa lazy
lazy sway
sway .. .. ..
He
He did
did aa lazy
lazy sway
sway .. .. ..
To
To the
the tune
tune o'
o' those
those Weary
Weary Blues.
Blues.
With
With his
his ebony
ebony hands
hands on
on each
each ivory
ivory key
key
He
He made
made that
that poor
poor piano
piano moan
moan with
with melody.
melody.
O
O Blues!
Blues!
Swaying
Swaying to
to and
and fro
fro on
on his
his rickety
rickety stool
stool
He
He played
played that
that sad
sad raggy
raggy tune
tune like
like aa musical
musical fool.
fool.
Sweet
Sweet Blues!
Blues!
Coming
Coming from
from aa black
black man's
man's soul.
soul.
O
O Blues!
Blues!
In
In aa deep
deep song
song voice
voice with
with aa melancholy
melancholy tone
tone
II heard
heard that
that Negro
Negro sing,
sing, that
that old
old piano
piano moan—
moan—
"Ain't
"Ain't got
got nobody
nobody in
in all
all this
this world,
world,
Ain't
Ain't got
got nobody
nobody but
but ma
ma self.
self.
I's
I's gwine
gwine to
to quit
quit ma
ma frownin'
frownin'
And
And put
put ma
ma troubles
troubles on
on the
the shelf."
shelf."
Thump,
Thump, thump,
thump, thump,
thump, went
went his
his foot
foot on
on the
the floor.
floor.
He
He played
played aa few
few chords
chords then
then he
he sang
sang some
some more—
more—
"I
"I got
got the
the Weary
Weary Blues
Blues
And
And II can't
can't be
be satisfied.
satisfied.
Got
Got the
the Weary
Weary Blues
Blues
And
And can't
can't be
be satisfied—
satisfied—
II ain't
ain't happy
happy no
no mo'
mo'
And
And II wish
wish that
that II had
had died."
died."
And
And far
far into
into the
the night
night he
he crooned
crooned that
that tune.
tune.
The
The stars
stars went
went out
out and
and so
so did
did the
the moon.
moon.
The
The singer
singer stopped
stopped playing
playing and
and went
went to
to bed
bed
While
While the
the Weary
Weary Blues
Blues echoed
echoed through
through his
his head.
head.
He
He slept
slept like
like aa rock
rock or
or aa man
man that's
that's dead.
dead.
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“Hey!”
“Hey! Hey!”
Sun’s a settin’,
This is what I’m gonna sing.
Sun’s a settin’,
This is what I’m gonna sing:
I feels de blues a comin’,
Wonder what de blues ‘ll bring?
Sun’s a risin’,
This is gonna be ma song.
Sun’s a risin’,
This is gonna be ma song.
I could be blue but
I been blue all night long.
by Langston Hughes
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by Langston Hughes
Okay, your turn.
You will each receive a
graphic organizer to help
you compose your very
own Blues Poem. There
are instructions on how to
write it next to boxes for
you to fill.
Before getting
started, look at the kidfriendly example on the
other side: “Brother Blues”.
Read the poem, and
answer the following
comprehension questions:
1. Which boy in the
illustration wrote the
poem, and how do you
know?
2. What is the MAIN
reason he feels blue?
A.
B.
C.
D.
He is stuck in his room.
He got in trouble.
He can’t play video
games.
It wasn’t his fault.
All of these answers go together to make a
boy feel badly, but what is the worst of it?
He doesn’t deserve the punishment!
Plus, his brother who is not punished at all,
is off scot-free.
If the wrongfully accused boy deserved the
punishment, he could think about what he
did wrong, as his parents instructed, but
because he is innocent, all he has to think
about is how UNFAIR his situation is!
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More Poetry of Langston Hughes
“I, Too” + Hughes’ thoughts
behind it
“Homesick Blues”
De railroad bridge’s
A sad song in de air.
De railroad bridge’s
A sad song in de air.
Ever time de trains pass
I wants to go somewhere.
I went down to de station,
Ma heart was in ma mouth.
Went down to de station.
Heart was in ma mouth.
Lookin’ for a box car
To roll me to de South.
Homesick blues, Lawd,
‘S a terrible thing to have.
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
“Dream Deferred”
What happens to a dream
deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Homesick blues is
A terrible thing to have.
To keep from cryin’
I opens ma mouth an’ laughs.
Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
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Index
● “Aunt Sue’s Stories ● Letting off steam
● Make your own
● Bear a burden
blues poem
● Blues Poems Graphic
● More Poetry of
Organizers
Langston Hughes
● Depression
● Commercialization ● Slavery
● Getting it off your ● Sympathy
● “The Weary Blues”
chest
● “Hey!” & “Hey! Hey!”
● Invention of Blues
● Langston Hughes
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Aunt Sue has a head full of stories.
Aunt Sue has a whole heart full of stories.
“Aunt Sue’s Stories”
by Langston Hughes
Summer nights on the front porch
Aunt Sue cuddles a brown-faced child to her bosom
5
And tells him stories.
Black slaves
Working in the hot sun,
1. What do lines 21 and 22 suggest about Aunt Sue's past?
A. She may have been a slave.
B. She never learned to read.
C. She had a happy childhood.
D. She has always made up stories.
And black slaves
Walking in the dewy night,
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And black slaves
Singing sorrow songs on the banks of a mighty river
Mingle themselves softly
2. Which word from the poem best shows Aunt Sue's affection for
the child?
A. "Listening"
B. "softly"
C. "Singing"
D. "cuddles"
In the flow of old Aunt Sue’s voice,
Mingle themselves softly
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In the dark shadows that cross and recross
Aunt Sue’s Stories.
And the dark-faced child, listening,
Know’s that Aunt Sue’s Stories are real stories.
He knows that Aunt Sue never got her stories
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Out of any book at all,
But that they came
Right out of her own life.
The dark-faced child is quiet
Of a summer night
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Listening to Aunt Sue’s Stories.
3. What can the reader learn about Aunt Sue from lines 1 and 2?
A. She is emotionally connected to her stories.
B. She remembers what she reads.
C. She has a great imagination.
D. She tells stories to make people feel good.
4. In the poem, what is the setting for Aunt Sue's storytelling?
A. along the river in the damp night
B. in the room where she keeps books
C. outside the house in the hot sun
D. on her front porch in the evening
5. Based on the poem the boy can be described as
A. lonesome
B. fearful
C. reflective
D. insecure
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