![]() He implores the reader not to wallow in exhaustion but to take action, and not just a performance of action but something deep. There’s always Tumblr accounts filled with black text, white background quotes where “Tired” makes regular appearances.īut the words they’re sharing are only the first half of the poem. You can find beautiful calligraphy of his words on Pinterest to add to an Activism or Altruism inspiration board. A serene mountain backdrop to Hughes’s words make a great wallpaper or Facebook post in tough times. There’s a version of this poem for everyone. After all, we all feel tired once in a while. Hughes’s words can decorate this little bubble creating a tragic but beautiful scene. The reader can imagine looking out at the world’s troubles, huddled inside a bubble, disappointed and wondering when things will look less bleak. There’s a soft mood to his words, despite the horrors he alludes to. Hughes’s words are simple-“beautiful,” “kind,” and “good”-but they also convey a romantic air. Sometimes his poems even sound like comforting nursery rhymes. That easygoing beat makes it quick to latch on to his words. Jazz poetry suited him as he rejected the classical approach to poetry, instead using common words and simple structures that almost anyone could read. A lover of jazz, he used the music’s rhythm and diction to shape his poems, creating a song and word mix. Hughes’s career took off during the Harlem Renaissance. “Tired” encapsulates this puddle feeling.īetween the relentless news cycle, easy access to social media, and rampant burnout, it can feel like the bad news just piles on, leaving no time to process. I read a news headline, and I feel like I’m melting into my bed and becoming a puddle. Between the relentless news cycle, easy access to social media, and rampant burnout, it can feel like the bad news just piles on, leaving no time to process. It can be exhausting trying to stay optimistic while hearing the news of people dying from disease and murder and countless other atrocities. We acutely feel the time pass as we’re waiting. We’re just waiting for something to fall out of the sky and make the world good again. There are moments where we can feel like we have no power over what’s going on. In this poem, Hughes reflects our feelings of being buried in injustice. In simple words that clearly resonates-I found a Tumblr post with 20,000 notes, and a tweet with more than 28,000 likes-Hughes describes our shared exhaustion: It’s a sentiment reflected by Langston Hughes in a poem that has been posted all over Twitter and Tumblr since late May, in response to the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. The conversations are a mix of sympathy, frustration and opinions, but all I can bring myself to say is, “I’m tired.” Apparently, I wasn’t alone. My friends and I discuss the news once a week during our Zoom calls. Sign up for our newsletter to get submission announcements and stay on top of our best work.
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