Many assume that blues and jazz were the only musical influences that had an impact on the Harlem Renaissance. Indeed, with the search for heritage and identity, many aspects of African culture influenced Renaissance poetry musically. However, there is also a need to focus on more controversial topics, such as religion and gender, as poets challenged oppression. When talking about Harlem Renaissance poetry, because of the strength of their relationship, you have to look to blues and jazz. Many saw this genre as a voice for black communities and since “New Negro poets expressed a deep pride in being black” (Smith, 1983, p. 37) it is easy to see how this influenced their poetry. The main theme of the Blues was the problems of life and the search for escape, and this underlying dissatisfaction was incorporated into the poem as a response to many of the injustices present. For example, a clear example of this is Homesick Blues by Langston Hughes, which uses many of the key techniques of blues songs, such as short verses to create urgency. The poem discusses the effect of prejudice and injustice on black communities, especially when it comes to finding a home and identity. There is a subtle and irregular rhyme scheme from words like “sun…made” (Ramazani, 1994, pp. 152-3) that reinforces the influence. Boring, stuffy rhymes create a sense of dissatisfaction and boredom, as if the speaker has given up on life. Hughes similarly uses many colloquial and phonetic expressions, which were common in blues songs, such as "De Railroad Bridge/ a sad song in de air" (Ramazani, 1994, pp. 152-3), which promotes pride and l Racial identity, featured in Blues and Harlem Renaissance poetry. However, perhaps the strongest example of how the Blues genre infl...... middle of paper...... Book of American Verse. New York: Oxford University Press. Leonard, K. D. (2009). African American poets and the power of the word. The Cambridge Companion to African American Women's Literature, 168-187. Nelson, C. (2008). An anthology of modern American poetry. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Ramazani, J. (1994). Poetry of Mourning: The Modern Elegy from Hardy to Heaney. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Rosen, M. (2009). Classical Poetry: An Illustrated Collection. North Carolina: Baker & Taylor, CATS.Smith, G. (1983, Fall). A Street in Bronzeville by Gwendolyn Brooks, the Harlem Renaissance and the mythologies of black women. The Society for the Study of Multiethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS), Vol.10 No.3, 33-46.Spencer, J.M. (1996). The Black Church and the Harlem Renaissance. African American Review, vol.30 no.3, 453-460.