Black Cultural Expression in the Harlem Renaissance

In the essay "Characteristics of Negro Expression," Zora Neale Hurston outlines some of the features that make African American art culturally unique. It was interesting to apply these principles to works we read out of the Harlem Renaissance; I could really see how a lot of the traits she discusses are common to many of the texts. In this post, I will discuss some of the themes Hurston identified that I found to be very prominent in the texts from this unit. 

The first characteristic Hurston discusses is drama. Describing the black artist, Hurston writes that "his very words are action words. His interpretation of the English language is in terms of pictures. One act described in terms of another. Hence the rich metaphor and simile." Metaphor and simile are characteristics found in many different styles of poetry, but I can definitely say that the poems we read from the Harlem Renaissance was especially full of these figures of speech. There are many examples of poetry that we read where "one act described in terms of another" was particularly apt. One poem that comes to mind is "Harlem" by Langston Hughes. "What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? / Or fester like a sore--and then run?" In these lines, Hughes uses action words to draw up vivid pictures. His usage of simile makes for a sensory poem where you as the reader can really feel his visceral portrayal of a "dream deferred." 

Another very defining characteristic that Hurston describes is asymmetry. The syncopation and irregular beats of both blues and jazz music is also reflected in the literary works we read from this era. According to Hurston, "there is always rhythm, but it is the rhythm of segments. Each unit has a rhythm of its own, but when the whole is assembled it is lacking in symmetry." Since so much of Harlem Renaissance poetry draws inspiration from the asymmetrical sound of Black music, there is a lot of literature presenting this theme. "The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes is one example of a poem utilizing asymmetry. The poem has syncopated patterns and doesn't follow a traditional rhythm--Hughes succeeds in capturing the sound and pulse of blues music. 

This idea of capturing and imitating another sound or idea is another theme that is central to Black art, argues Hurston. In her section entitled "Imitation," Hurston says that "mimicry is an art in itself [...] When sculpture, painting, acting, dancing, literature neither reflect nor suggest anything in nature or human experience we turn away with a dull wonder in our hearts at why the thing was done." In the blues and jazz poems we read from the Harlem Renaissance, many of them are trying to "mimic" both the sound of music and the feeling of listening to music. These poems use imagery and rhythm to express the complex and deep emotions brought out by the music from the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston goes on to describe the importance of the "Jook Joint," or the Black "pleasure house" for music and dancing. We see the cultural significance and impact of the Jook in many pieces of jazz poetry; from "Jazzonia" to "The Cat and the Saxophone," the Jook features as the central establishment where the poem takes place. Reading these poems, you can feel like you are inside and experiencing the sights and sounds of the Jook. 

The last theme I will discuss from "Characteristics of Negro Expression" is dialect. Black artists use different spellings of words to emphasize the pronunciation of African-American vernacular, and uses slang and phrases from the African-American dialect. Capturing the Black vernacular is central to Black and artistry throughout the many periods of history we have gone through so far, and the Harlem Renaissance is no different. "Scotty Has His Say" by Sterling Brown is one example; the poem begins with "whuh folks, whuh folks, don' wuk muh brown too hahd!" By writing the poem this way, Brown is choosing to add emphasis to the unique sound of African-American vernacular, which shows how important it is to Black culture and experience. 

Overall, there were a lot of themes in "Characteristics of Negro Expression" that I could find in not just Harlem Renaissance literature, but throughout many of the works we read from different periods of history. While there were some themes in her essay that I have yet to really see, like the significance of "cultural heroes" and folklore in Black artistry, the majority of the concepts she discussed truly are uniquely shared among Black artists and Black expression.