Langston Hughes (1901–1967) was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. A major poet, he broke from traditional poetic forms to incorporate the rhythms of jazz and blues. His poetry collections, which focus on Black American life, blues culture, and social justice, include The Weary Blues (1926) and the posthumous The Panther and the Lash (1967). He made the African American experience the subject of all his prolific writing, which included plays, novels, stories, and newspaper columns.