s, much of the beauty of the poem lies in the fact that he does not need to: the Blues stand on their own, largely because they have an unquestionably solid background of complex racial and societal issues. Finally, Hughes paints an audio-picture of the oh-so-common Harlem reality of a man lamenting his life: “I got the Weary Blues And I can’t be satisfied. Got the Weary Blues And can’t be satisfied -- I ain’t happy no mo’ And I wish that I had died.” (25 - 30) This elucidation gives rise to a fascinating notion: although the man has wished for death, the music itself remains very much alive, both within himself and within the poem. The very act of “The Blues” has become a healing process in and of itself. As the man laments “in a deep song voice with a melancholy tone” (17), he purges a deep pain. Through the experience of this purging, the poem itself becomes an act of survival -- and thus, a dignified appreciation of the folk, and a distinct form of “High” art. Hughes does not limit his Blues aesthetic to a male perspective, and this is perhaps why his poetry manages to become readily accessible to such a large and heterogenous group of readers. “Midwinter Blues” chronicles the lament of a middle-aged woman in regards to her lost love. She remarks, “Don’t know’s I’d mind his goin’ / But he left when the coal was low. Now, if a man loves a woman / That ain’t no time to go” (9 - 12). Despite its simple, Southern language, this rhythmic account of sad misfortune sheds an extremely perceptive light on the politics of love and the harsh reality of a Black woman’s world. Similarly, when the woman says, “He told me that he loved me. He must a been tellin’ a lie. But he’s the only man I’ll / love till the day I die” (15 - 18), she brings a heartfelt, poignant honesty to poetic repre...
