The Harlem Renaissance

1. The Harlem Renaissance ReadWriteThink.org

2. Duke Ellington • Duke 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. • East St. Louis Toodle-oo • The Mooche • Mood Indigo

3. The Lindy Hop • Lindy Hop in Harlem: The Role of Social Dancing • Let’s Dance! • Now, how does this dance compare to the music you just heard? Hmmmm…

4. The Art of the Renaissance • Study the two paintings on the next slide. • Write 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?

5. The Art of the Renaissance Street Life, Harlem by William H. Johnson Jeunesse by Palmer Hayden

6. Langston Hughes • We 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? • The Negro Speaks of Rivers

7. 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. 