THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE

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DUKE ELLINGTON

D

uke Ellington was a famed musician and composer of the Harlem

Renaissance. He lived from April 29, 1899 to May 24, 1974.

Let’s listen to a few of his recordings and think about what mood

he is invoking. Write down the mood of each song on your paper.

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ood Indigo

THE LINDY HOP

L

indy Hop in Harlem: The Role of Social Dancing

L

et’s Dance!

N

ow, how does this dance compare to the music you just

heard? Hmmmm…

THE ART OF THE RENAISSANCE

S

tudy the two paintings on the next slide.

W

rite a response in the form of a brief paragraph. • Include such things as how color is used, what mood or

feelings the paintings express.• Include your thoughts about the paintings. What do you

feel or see? • How do the paintings relate to the music you listened to?

Do they invoke the same moods?

THE ART OF THE RENAISSANCE

Street Life, Harlem by William H. Johnson

Jeunesse by Palmer Hayden

LANGSTON HUGHES

W

e have already studied a couple of Langston Hughes’

poems. Let’s study another, shall we? For this poem, I want

you to listen to Mr. Hughes and write down what you are

thinking as you hear him recite his poetry. What mood is he

invoking? How does it compare to the music and the art?

T

he Negro Speaks of Rivers

THANK YOU!

I

hope you have enjoyed our foray into the Harlem Renaissance.

Your next assignment is to create a picture from a poem. Choose

any poem by an poet from the Harlem Renaissance and create a

poster that tells the story without words. Your picture will

invoke a mood by using color, composition, and expression. This

poetry picture is due February 15, 2012. You may use a digital

painter or create the poster on your own. Have fun and

remember to tell the poem through pictures.