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The Weary Blues Post
Read "The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes. How does it connect to "Sonny's Blues"? What lines or phrases connect to the Baldwin story in terms of theme, tone or symbol?
http://physics.lunet.edu/blues/L_Hughes.html
34 comments:
"The Weary Blues" and "Sonny's Blues" are similar. They both share a melencholy quality. Both stories are about sadness and suffering, and how music can be an outlet for emotion. In "The Weary Blues", Hughes is writing about a troubled man, playing a pianno. He's playing good music, but the source of the music comes from his troubles in life. In "Sonny's Blues", Baldwin is writing about a young man, Sonny who has made mistakes in his life, and is trying to fix fix them by doing what he loves best; playing the piano. Sonny feels that he can express his life through music, just like the man in "The Weary Blues". He feels that he should do what meks him happy.
-Kai
Weary Blues and Sonny’s Blue’s are very similar. They both talk about the struggle of life of a black man in Harlem. Both characters play the piano to let people know what they feel or just away to get their feelings out but entertaining people. In the Weary Blue’s it repeats the words “weary” and “ lazy” it seems to me like the person is very stressed out and/or been through a lot and that it was makes them seem lazy. In both the poem and the story they say something about how they would be rather be dead or feel like they are. I also agree with Kai when he says, “he's playing good music, but the source of the music comes from his troubles in life”. They are both talking about a musician that lets his emotion out through playing a piano and have suffered.
The Weary Blues is about a pianist who is alone and wishes to be dead. This man resembles an older version of Sonny. At this point it is possible that he is all alone and wishes to die as Sonny does in Baldwin's story. The line dealing with death is similar to why Sonny took drugs. This man is older and smarter. He makes use of his time playing the piano and instead of Sonny's plan to drug himself and die.
Langston Hughes’ “The Weary Blues” connects to James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” because they both describe the relationship between instrument and musician. The stories frequently emphasize the emotions that are intermixed in melodies, even without vocally expressing sentiment. In Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” the narrator has difficulty understanding his brother’s actions. Sonny refuses to become settled in Harlem and much to his brother’s dismay, wants to join the military. As time progresses it seems to the narrator that Sonny has become blinded by his desire for freedom. He now has developed a drug addiction and is thoroughly lost in the world. However, when the narrator listens to Sonny’s music, he gains a new understanding about what Sonny is longing for in the world. Somehow the music has broken down barriers that prevented the narrator from understanding his brother for who he really is. Through seemingly normal melodies, the narrator’s personal conflict has been incredulously solved. In conclusion, emotions can be explored through music and the end result can be a new kind of enlightenment
"the weary blues" and "sonny's blues" have the same theme of struggle in life. when i read both i felt a sense that the characters in the stories were both struggling with life and everything about it. sonny was obviously having drug issues mainly cause of life and everything around him. through his music he found answers to his troubles and ended his struggle. the man on the piano in this one also has problems he cant solve and this he plays his music as a back up plan. i think the ending paragraph in "the weary blues" has a lot to do with "sonny's blues" theme of light and dark. when the light from the moon and stars faded so did the singer and his music. that one paragraph sums up what the author for "sonny's blues" was trying to get along, the idea of light and dark
Weary Blues and Sonny's Blues connect because they are both about a pianist trying to relieve their pain. And the only way to get away from their pain is by playing their piano for their life. The piano saves Sonny and the black man playing in Weary Blues. Even though Weary Blues had nothing to do with drugs, Sonny used that to relieve his pain for a while too.
The song that the man on the piano was singing really stood out to me because he is saying that he doesn't like his life the way it is right at that moment. He says that he isnt happy with his life anymore so he rather die. That kind of connects with James Baldwin with the way he says that Sonny uses drugs which could cause death.
A symbol in Sonny's Blues and Weary Blues is a piano. The piano in Sonny's Blues represents Sonny's passion for something to connect with because all throughout his life, he was lonely because some family members died or they just didnt care that much for him. So he finds that the piano can replace a friend.
The piano is the symbol for Weary Blues too. It represents sort of the same thing as Sonny's Blues because the man doesnt have anyone, really, except for the piano.
In both of the stories, the blues is described as something that is retrieved from feelings, and also brings back memories of pain and sorrow. In "The Weary Blues," The feelings that come up from the blues are shown through the player speaking about them: "Ain't got nobody ain all this world,
Ain't got nobody but ma self.
I's gwine to quit ma frownin'
And put ma troubles on the shelf."
This is also seen is Sonny's Blues, when Sonny is playing and the narrator also see's many emotions come up from Sonny's past. They also have the theme of troubles and sadness. When playing the blues, there is a pain that is gotten in both stories, and it brings back sad memories. The troubles brought in the blue's are similar ideas for both pieces, and they show how music is an expression of the past, and is almost like a therapy.
first off both stories take place in Harlem. this is significant because Harlem is the birth place of blues. but the stories connect further than that. both are about men who have had troubles and their expression of those trouble through song. to have a root such as blues is a privlage to the unprivilaged such as these two characters. a part that i very much enjoyed was when in "The Weary Blues" Huges said, "And far into the night he crooned that tune. The stars went out and so did the moon. The singer stopped playing and went to bed While the Weary Blues echoed through his head. He slept like a rock or a man that's dead." this part shows when the deed is done and a cover of blues almost covers the person. this is shown in "Sonny's Blues" as the darkness that keeps tugging at Sonny.
these two stories are very closly related.
Both of these short stories are about the reality of life for a black in harlem. They mention music and how important it is in life. Music expresses their feelings and emotions. Both of the characters in these stories follow what they love in life. Music. It is the easiest way to express feelings and emotions and just enjoy yourself.
As we all know, Langston Hughes of popular around the 1920s in Harlem, or as I like to call this period in time, the Harlem Renaissance. Just as Kyle said, Harlem was the birthplace of blues. The main point is that I believe that both of these stories have the same plot, but perhaps they different spunk to them. "Sonny's Blues" and "The Weary Blues", are both about young men who are having troubles times. There are a few differences between the two. Sonny has a brother and this man who we have no background information about does not. The main point about the comparisions is that they both are about young men that find hope in music.
I feel that Sonny's Blues and Weary Blues both have similar stories in the plot and how dark and light images are used a lot. These stories are both about a black man playing the blues in Harlem and both narrators are listening and describing them playing.
And far into the night he crooned that tune.
The stars went out and so did the moon.
The singer stopped playing and went to bed
While the Weary Blues echoed through his head.
He slept like a rock or a man that's dead.
This quote is an example of light and dark. To me it seems that the man going to bed and the moon fading is the darkness and the sadness because now at that moment, he isn't playing an instrument. This would be sad because his instrument is a way for him to express his feelings, just like Sonny who finds that playing the piano helps him.
the underlying theme for sonnys blues was music, until the end, when it showed itself to be sonnys life, and his will to live. the weary blues, is in many ways like the ending to sonnys blues. everything has a voice, and something to say. "He made that poor piano moan with melody." the piano is portrayed as depressed and forlorn, moaning morosely for all to hear. like in sonny's blues, music was a conversation between the instruments, everyone had there own emotion,these emotions changed based on what others had said, the blues, in both these poems and storys, is a language, spoken and understood by few.
The weary blues and sonny's blues are very similar in tone because of the incorporation of the blues music in both pieces. The blues is a very sad and slow and melancholy and blues pieces are often about sadness or misfortune. Both stories deal with the struggles in the lives of two people and they both are saying that their only escape is the piano. Both stories are saying that the musician has somewhat of a messed up life but music brings them happiness and brings some light into their dark, cold world. These stories portray two blues pianists struggling through life and expressing their emotions through their instrument.
The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes connects to Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin in the sense of suffering. The two stories vividly tell the suffering that goes along with the glory of playing the blues. There is no happy blues artist that makes good and soulful blues. It takes memories of sorrow like those in The Weary blues where the musician talks about himself being alone in life and wanting to be dead much like Sonny is all alone and uses drugs as a way to wish himself dead. "By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light..." This is a quote from Hughes' Weary Blues incorporating the idea of light vs dark which is a haunting symbol in the story of Sonny's blues.
-Pablo
"The Weary Blues" and "Sonny's Blues" are very similar. They have three main things in common. They are both about music, they are both about Harlem, and they are both about sadness. In both pieces one of the characters uses music as an escape. in "The Weary's Blues" the character uses music to express how he is feeling and to make himself feel better. In "Sonny's Blues" Sonny uses music to escape from his problems, he use music to be happy without worrying about drugs or his future or his past. Both stories take place in Harlem and use many references to Harlem and its culture. Finally both stories are very sad. In "The Weary Blues" the main character is depressed and has the "weary blues". In "Sonny's Blues" both Sonny and the narrator are sad and depressed. At the end of each story there is almost a happy ending in "The Weary Blues" the main character goes to bed. In "Sonny's Blues" both Sonny and the narrator escape from their problems while Sonny plays.
both the weary blues and sonny's blues have a very similar feeling to them. it is almost like they were the same idea only written in different forms by different people. they both have an aspect of deep sadness about them they also envolve a theme of music as an outlet for their sadness and deep emotion. they also both discuss the life of a black man, the way they use music to express sadness and doing what makes them both happy.
I feel "The Weary Blues" and "Sonny's Blues" are similar in many ways. Both stories have a depressing mood, are about music, and take place in Harlem. It seemed as if the person in Weary Blues played music because it made them feel better about all of the racism that happened at this time. The author writes "Negro" many times.
"He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool." I feel as if the character is putting his mood into his music, and this is similar to Sonny's Blues because the mood is depressing, and he plays different music depending on his mood. It seems as if that music is the cure to happiness for each of these characters.
“The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes was very similar to “Sonny’s Blues” because of the theme of the blues and the general atmosphere of depression. In “The Weary Blues” the blues singer is playing the piano and in “Sonny’s Blues” one of the maine characters, Sonny, plays blues on his piano to try and forget his past mistakes. A quote from “The Weary Blues” is, "While the Weary Blues echoed through his head. He slept like a rock or a man that's dead.” In “Sonny’s Blues” there is a scene where the narrator gets into a fight with Sonny and says that Sonny might as well be dead. Between these connections and more, “The Weary Blues” and “Sonny’s Blues” are similar.
In the weary blues it actually reminds of sonny's blues. It is like this poem is describing the story. It talks about a similar story to sonny's. About a black man playing blues on a piano, it is very like sonnys blues. "I heard a Negro play. Down on Lenox Avenue the other night... Ain't got nobody ain all this world, Ain't got nobody but ma self."
This is almost like sonny;s story. He does drugs shortly after his fathers death and later on his mom died. After he got out of jail he told his brother that he would not have done drugs if he knew how much it hurt him. And he fights through his bad actions by playing the piano at a blues club.
"The Weary Blues" and "Sonny's Blues" connect with each other because both stories are about sadness and musical melody that has a sad tune and how emotions such as happy, sad and others can be expressed through musical melody. Both stories have a theme of someone struggling through life. Also both stories take place in harlem. The Poem "THe Weary Blues" makes me think of an older version of Sonny. The old sad Jazz player is depressed and upset and it feels like he may have tried to live life to the fullest, as Sonny seemed to, but now he's tired and wants it all to be over. Sonny expresses his life through music and so does the man in "The Weary Blues". Music particularly the blues is a major symbol in both of the story/poems.
Both the Weary Blues and Sonny's Blues are about music. They are about expressing emotions through music emotions that are sad and causing them pain. In Sonny's blues Sonny is a drug addict and the only thing that keeps him from doing drugs is his music and playing on his piano. The man in Weary blues is very weighed down with sorrow and pain. He seems to play music to stay alive it keeps him from slowly dying in his sleep. In both stories it seems that music is a release and a something that the characters disparately need and love. In both stories there is the theme of black men struggling in Harlem around the time of jazz when there was racism and hatred.
The Weary Blues and Sonny Blues share a common theme—both deal with the blues as a form of music and as a kind of “feeling” that Blacks have because of how hard their lives are. People play the blues and feel the blues. Both the poem and the story are about a musician who is in love with his music and another individual who is observing the musician’s bitter sweet and, sometimes, unrealistic love. In Sonny Blues, the narrator is somewhat critical, while in Weary Blues the narrator seems to be looking at the situation as an impartial spectator. In the Weary Blues, the musician sings:
“ Got the Weary Blues
And can’t be satisfied—
I ain’t happy no mo’
And I wish that I had died.”
Here, the musician is showing that, even though he loves his songs, they are depressing and, in a way, they are why he is where he is right now. Similarly, music is a kind of trap in Sonny Blues. In both works, the musician might love to sing and play, but what he loves most in life is what hurts him the most.
"The Weary Blues" and "Sonny's Blues" from the beginning have very similar tones and messages. In the short story and in the poem, they both explain an African American playing the piano. They both explain the same points of how their life is a sad trap and how they both depend on themselves to stay strong. The poem focuses more on the "blues" and sadness of the piano and song, coming from the "black man's soul." This can relate to Sonny's Blues and how the narrator realizes the depth of passion Sonny puts into his song from his own life and experiences. I think that "The Weary Blues" and "Sonny's Blues" relate a lot in terms of message and tone. "The Weary Blues" seems to be more about what Sonny's own point of view really could've been like.
I think that "The Weary Blues" and "Sonny's Blues" are similar in the message of music. In both stories music is like either the fall back or the savior from a bad life. Music in both of these is the solution or the way that they express themselves and live their lives. For Sonny music became an escape from drugs but also music opened his mind to new things. This is what changed Sonny and then with this Sonny ended up changing the narrator with music. In this poem the author is talking about the appearance of the musician but always keeps going back to the song he is playing. Also in both the story and poem they talk about what it is like to grow up poor and with not much and talk about what its like. Music in these two pieces seem like the main connector to me.
I strongly agree with Kai. I feel that "Sonny's Blues" and "The Weary Blues" have some kind of sad emotion to it. They are both faced with some sense of sadness and suffering and the fix for that is music. Sonny has to put up with troubles and it seems like the guy in weary blues has gone through a a lot. Both guys in the story use music as a symbol of "escape". In other words a symbol of getting away from everything.
In both Sonny's Blues and The Weary Blues the tone of the writing is melancholy. The writing shows hardship and struggle. In each piece of writing music plays a large role. Through music came realizations in these stories. In Sonny's Blues many of the realizations were positive while in this poem the tone stayed somber. But the realizations that were made in both cases were about the truth of struggle and the strive to escape.
One line that stood out to me in The Weary Blues that also clearly connects to Sonny's Blues is: "He made that poor piano moan with melody." This line connects with the point that the narrator was trying to make in Sonny's Blues, that the relationship between the musician and instrument is a difficult and awful one. The image of "that poor piano" moaning makes that point come across very clearly.
There is a strong sense of loss and suffering both in Sonny's Blues and 'The Weary Blues." Sonny in Sonny's blues wants to get out of Harlem and has death, poverty and horror surrounding him but he doesn't know what to do about it so he succombs to drugs. The piano man in the Weary Blues in similer to him because of his sadness and depression. The piano has an urge to kill himself, but keeps himself busy by playing the piano. In some ways playing the piano actauly savedthe piano man, and possibly Sonny too. Sonny's love for musical instriments saved him from the military and everything else that was a danger to him
Sonny’s Blues and The Weary Blues are two similar stories. Sonny was trapped by circumstances of great depression. He was a junkie once and is in an overall depressed state. The only thing he has to turn to now is his music. Also, through music he can share himself with the world. He can express himself and his story. He can be understood. The Weary Blues gives off a similar character. The character in the poem is a sad tale (like blues music tells). He has obviously had difficulties with his life. The only thing that he has to turn to is his piano; and he expresses himself in the same way. For the reason of difficulty in life, and musical expression, these two stories are similar.
"The Weary Blues" and "Sonny's Blues" are similar when it comes to the character sketch and their life problem. The character in "The Weary Blues"is depressed and is under the impression that ending his life will take away the bad memories he has and the pointless life he lives. And in "Sonny's Blue's", Sonny has dealt with a lot of problems and made a lot of wrong choices in life, so trying to find a way to cope with those issues was a struggle for him. For the character in "The Weary Blues" it seems as if he is struggling with that same problem like Sonny but he's picking the death as his only option because he feels like he has no one to prove and he's useless. And at a certain time Sonny felt the same way. So finding yourself, changing for another, and finding away to succeed in life is what both these stories are interpreting.
The Weary Blues makes many connections to Sonny's Blues. One of them being the connection of what Blues is, or what it means to the characters and where it comes from. In the Weary Blues it speaks of a man who plays the piano, just like Sonny. One quote that really indicates a similarity is "he made that poor piano moan with melody." the word moan, I feel, is really showing and setting the mood for what blues is. The weary blues talks about the music coming from a black man's soul, and for Sonny, he was giving the music life. So in essence, the music WAS his soul. They made the connection of the purity of music coming from the depths of their own true souls. The quote "swaying to and fro on his rickety stool" made me feel like it seems to show that if the stool sways, so can the consistency of emotion and the music, since jazz is mostly about improve. But I feel that the biggest connection between the two pieces of writings is seen in the last stanza of the Weary Blues. "The singer stopped playing and went to bed. While the weary blues echoed through his head he slept like a rock or a man that's dead" i believe that this quote in particular pertains to Sonny's Blues because in a way, whenever Sonny is not playing the blues it is as if he is that man who sleeps like he is dead. But it is like when he stops playing jazz, his soul stops as well. Of course he is still alive but his soul is at rest. Yet, the Blues will always be an echo in his head, being ever present in memory.
Both "Sonny's Blues" and "The Weary Blues" explore the wonder music can fill you with, but also the immense darkness that can permeate your soul. Music can be an outlet through which one can allow their sorrows to flood away and permit joy to enter and suffuse one's soul, but if your emotions are so clearly shown, they can pierce the illusions that have been created and show you the truth. Music can weave lies as easily as it can dispel them, creating fantasies where pain is a distant memory and one is jubilant, or leaving the naked truth for the listener or player to contemplate.
While music served as Sonny's savior, music clearly tortures the man spoken of in the "Weary Blues." It is a curse as well as a gift, for it seems that sorrow consumes his soul, and music is the only way to lessen his pain, the only respite from melancholy.
Contrastingly, if this man were to keep these burning feelings tucked away within him, he probably would experience something much more painful. His piano is aiding him is his hour of loneliness, "Ain't got nobody ain all this world, Ain't got nobody but ma self," but while lessening his pain, it also adds to his agony by making his desolation so tangible.
In both stories, the Blues show great emotion, that can only be brought forward by great pain. The notes play the song of life: pain hold hands with joy. It is a paradox, as one cannot produce something as touching as the blues without experiencing a deep emotion, which can be emotionally scarring.
There are many connections and similarities between “The Weary Blues” and “Sonny’s Blues”. The following lines,
"Ain't got nobody ain all this world,
Ain't got nobody but ma self.
I's gwine to quit ma frownin'
And put ma troubles on the shelf."
Could be a description of Sonny’s personality and how he felt over the course of the story. Sonny was alone for the majority of “Sonny’s Blues” and was very troubled.
“He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.
Sweet Blues!
Coming from a black man's soul.” Reminds me of the ending scene where the narrator saw Sonny perform, finally seeing and feeling the emotion that had been built up inside of him.
This poem The Weary Blues is very similar to the short story Sonny's Blues. Their both about blues and how it feels to play the blues and what emotions come out of playing this music. It seems as though both musicians are sad when they play the blues.
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