“I swear to the Lord, I still can't understand why democracy means everyone but me.” These are the words of Langston Hughes, a black writer and poet of the early twentieth century. This man was famous for his portrayal of the reality of black life and culture in America. Although some literary critics may feel that Hughes' poetry presented an unappealing view of black life, his poetry demonstrated the reality of their lives. Many of Hughes' poems are notable for their description of the black experience. Some of the poems that stand out include “Ku Klux,” “House In the World,” and “Children’s Rhymes.” These poems delve into the world of fear, segregation, and the lost innocence of black culture. These poems authentically demonstrate the difficult lives that most Black people have had to live. Langston Hughes was one of the most influential black poets of the twentieth century. He took part in the Harlem Renaissance and taught the world about black life and culture. Langston Hughes was born to James Hughes and Carrie Langston Hughes on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was young and he went to live with his grandmother ("Langston Hughes"). Of the many experiences that influenced the young Hughes to write about black life, living with his grandmother, Mary Hughes, had the greatest impact on him. It was Hughes' grandmother who instilled in him a sense of black pride by telling him the stories of his ancestors. Hughes' grandmother had two husbands; the former was part of John Brown's crew that attacked Harper's Ferry. Her second husband, Hughes' grandfather, was an abolitionist. Listening to the stories of his grandfather and his grandmother's first husband made Hughes want to write about black life... in the middle of paper... the way Hughes taught the world about the harshness of their lives. Langston Hughes was passionate about expressing black life through his poetry. His poetry expressed the pain and suffering that black people had to endure. Many critics said that Langston Hughes created an unattractive vision of black life through his poetry, but he was only demonstrating the reality of their lives. He didn't make up stories about how beautiful life was; he wrote realistically about fear, segregation, and the lost innocence of the black race. Langston Hughes left a huge impression on the literature of his period. He influenced many other writers and helped give a voice to black people. Langston Hughes was an extraordinary poet who should be known as the man who brought to light the injustice that the black people of America had to survive.