The+Weary+Blues

The Weary Blues, Alexander Kalathia

Author-Langston Hughes

Time and circumstances of publication-published in 1925 in the Opportunity magazine.

Context: The Weary Blues is one of Hughes' first famous poems, one of a trio of poems he left by a famous white poet's plate while working as a busboy in the hotel in which the aforementioned white poet, Vachel Lindsay, was staying at. Lindsay 'discovered' hughes, putting him on the line for success.

Type of poem: Narrative Poem, as it tells a story. It could also be described as elegiac, as the singer is speaking sorrowfully about the weary blues, and the end of his happiness.

Synopsis of the Poem: The poem is told from the perspective of an unnamed observer, who finds himself listening to an old black man play the piano one night. How he doesn't play an active role in the poem, merely observing the happenings at this location. The poem follows the piano player's singing and actions, with the observer describing what he sees, as the black singer sings the 'weary blues', the titular song. The Weary Blues is a slow, sad song that details the sorrows and sadness of life. The poem ends with the piano ending his piece, and falling asleep.

Theme of the poem: The poem has a fixation on 'the blues', that is, the sadness of life and it's neverending pressures.

Structure:


 * Free Verse---there is no rigid structuring for how the poem is put together, with varying wline lengths and pacing.


 * Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme is irregular, with some lines rhyming, and others never rhyming at all.

Notes:


 * The first line speaks of the tune being "drowsy and syncopated". while this is describing the sogn the poem speaks of, it also describes the poem itself. The words chosen cause the pace of the poem to drag and be read slowly. The poem itself could be said to be syncopated, adding in pauses and putting emphasis on different parts rather that in regular intervals.


 * The poem makes great use of repetition, first with the pepetition of the line "he did a lazy sway...". The "..." causes the reader to pause and trail off while reading the poem out loud, and it causes you to do it twice, further setting the pacing for the poem. The repitition found in the lyrics of the song within the poem, "The Weary Blues", where "I got the weary blues and I can't be satistfied" is repeated, giving emphasis to the line.


 * the poem conjures images of a dark, dingy room where the old man plays his song, the dodgy atmosphere matching the depressing nature of the words.


 * The imagery of the ebony and ivory keys on the piano establishes a stark contrast.