蓝斯顿休斯是美国中上最伟大的诗人之一。就像其他许许多多的作家，他的写作题材来自于他的生活经验，即他身边的人、事、地。虽然休斯对来自于社会各阶层的人都很友善，如：富人、中产阶级及贫穷人，而这些所谓的低下阶层的人们对他的诗作影响深远 。休斯将这个措辞视为某种类型的赞赏，他欣赏这些人，因为「他们毫无疑问的接受美丽就是己身的想法。」您认为这句话代表了什么意义？

也许这句话意指低下阶层的人们能够领会存在他们生活中的美好事物。休斯热爱黑人音乐尤其是表达悲伤主题的蓝调音乐。他在芝加哥、纽约、堪萨斯市及华盛顿特区内的俱乐部聆听这 种音乐。他听的歌是讲述人们决心征服艰难。在「称为蓝调的歌曲」(Songs Called the Blues，1941)中，休斯形容这类音乐是「深受打击却打不垮的黑人唱腔」；1958年，在爵士及蓝调音乐家(如：查尔斯明格斯Charles Mingus)的伴奏下，休斯将他的诗作录制出版 。您曾听过随音乐吟诵的诗作吗？

藍斯頓休斯藉由創作作品來表達對政治及不公的感受。他到他國旅行以學習他人是如何處理種族議題。儘管他是非常自由派的，休斯仍為持有保守觀點的非裔美人說話。例如1941年的「布克的敘事歌謠」(Ballad of Booker T.)即是休斯為前奴隸及保守的平等提倡者布克華盛頓 (Booker T. Washington) 所作的詩。這首詩將焦點放在華盛頓為爭取種族和平所做出的努力，而未對其做出任何批評：

Sometimes he had

compromise in his talk--

for a man must crawl

before he can walk

and in Alabama in '85

a joker was lucky

to be alive.

休斯以不得不「妥協」來解釋華盛頓的立場。為達目的，您是否曾妥協或改變您的觀點過？

Langston Hughes is one of America's greatest poets. Like so many writers, he wrote about what he knew -- the people, places and events around him. Although Hughes was friendly with people from all walks of life, the rich, the middle class and the poor, it was the people he called the low-down folks who had the greatest influence on his poetry. Hughes used this expression as a form of praise. He admired these people because they accept what beauty is their own without question. What do you think this means?

Perhaps the phrase means that the low-down folks appreciated the beauty that existed in their lives. Hughes loved the music of his people, especially the blues, songs that express sad themes. He heard this music in clubs in Chicago, New York, Kansas City and Washington, D.C. The songs he heard were about people who were determined to overcome hardships. In Songs Called the Blues (1941), Hughes said this music was sung by black, beaten but unbeatable throats. In 1958, Hughes recorded his poetry to the accompaniment of the music of jazz and blues artists such as Charles Mingus. Have you ever heard poetry recited to music?

Langston Hughes believed in using his art to get across his feelings about politics and injustice. He traveled to other countries to learn how they dealt with racial issues. Despite his own very liberal beliefs, Hughes defended African American activists who held more conservative views. For example, in the 1941 poem Ballad of Booker T., Hughes defends Booker T. Washington, a former slave and more conservative advocate for equality. Rather than criticize him, the poet focused on Washington's strategy to gain racial equality:

Sometimes he had

compromise in his talk--

for a man must crawl

before he can walk

and in Alabama in '85

a joker was lucky

to be alive.

Hughes explained Washington's position by saying he had to compromise. Have you ever had to compromise, or change your point of view, to get what you wanted?