Richard+Bruce+Nugent+(Acer+Li)

Richard Bruce Nugent was an African American that was born on July 2nd, 1906. Nugent grew up in Washington D.C. but moved to New York after his father’s death in 1920. He had his first training of art with Van Dresser and announced he was going to be an artist and wouldn’t accept any other job. His mom agreed with him and sent him back to Washington to pursue his art career, living with his grandparents. He met Langston Hughes in 1925 when he published his first book, The Weary Blues. Nugent’s poem, “Shadow” was rescued by Langston from the trash bin and was interpreted as a racial poem, but Nugent denied it and said it was a soul searching poem and that he was a homosexual. Nugent helped with “FIRE!!”, which was created to be the first African-American art quarterly but only lasted one issue due to financial issues. Nugent was well known for his art, working with oils and pastels, and his poetry. Much of his work was influenced by Michelangelo, Beardsley, and Erte.
 * Richard Bruce Nugent **

"Shadow"
 * Richard Bruce Nugent **

Silhouette On the face of the moon Am I. A dark shadow in the light. A silhouette am I On the face of the moon Lacking color Or vivid brightness But defined all the clearer Because I am dark, Black on the face of the moon. A shadow am I Growing in the light, Not understood as is the day, But more easily seen Because I am a shadow in the light.

This poem seems to be talking about race. The relation to the darkness growing in the light is like how the black community was growing during the Harlem Renaissance. The shadow in the light refers to a black person sticking out in a white community. This however, is not the true meaning of the poem. Nugent was homosexual and wasn’t afraid to show it. The darkness represents the homosexuality, and in this poem, he shows that he’s not afraid to hide it.
 * Analysis **

Wirth, Tom. "Chronology." //Richard Bruce Nugent//. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. .
 * Works Cited **