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Poems For Birthdays

Jazz poetry is a literary genre defined as poetry informed by and responsive to jazz music. It emerged alongside blues and jazz in the early 20th century and can be seen through movements like the Harlem Renaissance and Beat poetry. Jazz poets find inspiration in appreciating jazz artists and their music. Examples of renowned jazz poets include Langston Hughes, Jayne Cortez, and Sonia Sanchez. Anthologies like Jazz Poetry Anthology collect and showcase works in the jazz poetry tradition. The Smithsonian celebrates jazz and its poetry each April for Jazz Appreciation Month.

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46 views

Poems For Birthdays

Jazz poetry is a literary genre defined as poetry informed by and responsive to jazz music. It emerged alongside blues and jazz in the early 20th century and can be seen through movements like the Harlem Renaissance and Beat poetry. Jazz poets find inspiration in appreciating jazz artists and their music. Examples of renowned jazz poets include Langston Hughes, Jayne Cortez, and Sonia Sanchez. Anthologies like Jazz Poetry Anthology collect and showcase works in the jazz poetry tradition. The Smithsonian celebrates jazz and its poetry each April for Jazz Appreciation Month.

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A Brief Guide to Jazz Poetry

Jazz poetry is a literary genre defined as poetry necessarily informed by jazz musicthat is, poetry in which the poet responds to and writes about jazz. Jazz poetry, like the music itself, encompasses a variety of forms, rhythms, and sounds. Beginning with the birth of blues and jazz at the beginning of the twentieth century, jazz poetry is can be seen as a thread that runs through the Harlem enaissance, the Beat movement, and the Black !rts "ovementand it is still vibrant today. #rom early blues to free jazz to e$perimental music, jazz poets use their appreciation for the music as poetic inspiration. %ot only the music but the artists make fre&uent appearances in jazz poetry' (ouis !rmstrong, John )oltrane, "iles *avis, *izzy +illespie, Billie Holiday, )harles "ingus, ,helonious "onk, )harlie -arker, .onny ollins, Bessie .mith, and (ester /oung are just some of the muses for jazz poetry. But writing about jazz poetry is, as they say, like dancing about architecture. -erhaps the form can be best understood through a few lines from the poets themselves' from ,he 0eary Blues, by (angston Hughes'
Droning a drowsy syncopated tune, Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, I heard a Negro play. Down on Lenox A enue the other night !y the pale dull pallor of an old gas light "e did a la#y sway . . . "e did a la#y sway . . . $o the tune o% those &eary !lues.

from Jazz #an (ooks Back, by Jayne )ortez'


I crisscrossed with 'onk &ailed with !ud (ounted e ery star with )titt )ang *Don%t !lame 'e* with )arah &ore a flower like !illie )creamed in the range of Dinah + scatted *"ow "igh the 'oon* with ,lla -it#gerald as she blew roof off the )hrine Auditorium .a## at the /hilharmonic

-oets in the Jazz tradition include' !miri Baraka, "arvin Bell, .terling Brown, Hayden )arruth, Jayne )ortez, "ichael .. Harper, (angston Hughes, Jack 1erouac, /usef 1omunyaaka, "ina (oy, 1enneth e$roth, and .onia .anchez. #or further reading, consult these anthologies' Jazz -oetry !nthology, .ascha #einstein and /usef 1omunyakaa, eds. 23ndiana 4niversity -ress, 566578 ,he .econd .et' ,he Jazz -oetry !nthology, 9ol. :, .ascha #einstein and /usef 1omunyakaa, eds. 23ndiana 4niversity -ress, 566;8 and Jazz -oetry' #rom the 56:<s to the -resent, .ascha #einstein 2+reenwood -ublishing +roup, 566=7.

3n !pril :<<:, the .mithsonian>s %ational "useum of !merican History launched Jazz !ppreciation "onth 2J!"7 to draw greater public attention to the e$traordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an !merican cultural heritage. ?very !pril, the .mithsonian produces a Jazz -oetry event as part of J!" and %ational -oetry "onth. @ .ee more at' https'AAwww.poets.orgAviewmedia.phpAprm"3*AB;;<Csthash.3p4!HtdJ.dpuf

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