Blues Poetry
Pioneered by Langston Hughes
What does it mean to have the blues?
To have the blues means to be sad or
upset.
In “One Shoe Blues,” B.B. King is upset
about not being able to find his other
shoe!
“Night and Morn”
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
—Langston Hughes
Similarities/Differences?
Night and Morn
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.
Lost Your Head Blues
I was with you baby when you didn't have a dime
I was with you baby when you didn't have a dime
Now since you’ve got plenty of money, you have thrown
a girl gal down
Blues Form
AAB
(A) I was with you baby when you didn't have a dime
(A) I was with you baby when you didn't have a dime
(B) Now since you’ve got plenty of money, you have
thrown a girl gal down
3 line stanza form
- 2 sentences that rhyme
- The second line of the verse repeats the first
- The third line makes a rhyme
“Night and Morn”
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
—Langston Hughes
Similarities/Differences?
Night and Morn
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.
Good Morning Blues
Well good morning blues, Blues how do you do
Well good morning blues, Blues how do you do
Well I’m doin’ alright, Good morning how are you?
Blues Form
AAB
(A) Well good morning blues, Blues how do you do
(A) Well good morning blues, Blues how do you do
(B) Well I’m doin’ alright, Good morning how are you?
3 line stanza form
- 2 sentences that rhyme
- The second line of the verse repeats the first
- The third line makes a rhyme
The first person to use blues form in poetry
Langston Hughes
About Langston Hughes
- He was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902
- When he was 11 years old, he heard blues
coming from an orchestra in Kansas City
- He started writing poetry in high school
- In 1921, he moved to New York
- He heard blues music again from clubs in
Harlem (in New York City)
- He said he wanted to write poems just like the
songs they sang in the Blues Clubs
Hughes in Harlem
WRITE YOUR OWN!
Step 1: Topic and Title
- What is something that makes you sad or upset?
- For the title, take the topic and put it in “The ______ Blues”
Step 2: Find the Problem
- What is wrong with your topic? Why does it make you sad?
- A problem I have with ______ is ______
Step 3: Lyrics
- Line A states the problem
- Line B can be a solution or anything you want, as long as the last word
rhymes with the last word in line A
Example
Step 1: Topic and Title
- Having to do homework makes me upset
- “The Homework Blues”
Step 2: Find the Problem
- What is wrong with your topic? Why does it make you sad?
- A problem I have with Homework is I do not want to do it
Step 3: Lyrics
- Line A states the problem
ex) I don’t want to do my homework today
- Line B can be a solution or anything you want, as long as the last word rhymes with the last
word in line A
ex) I just want to go outside and play
“The Homework Blues”
I don’t want to do my homework today
I don’t want to do my homework today
I just want to go outside and play
Your turn!
“The Blues”
B
Blues Form in Rock & Roll
Elvis uses AAB form in his song “Hound Dog”
(A) You ain’t nothing but a hound dog crying all the time
(A) You ain’t nothing but a hound dog crying all the time
(B) Well you ain’t ever caught a rabbit and you ain’t no
friend of mine