Bibliographic Data
Hughes, Langston, and
Sean Qualls. 2013. Lullaby (For a
Black Mother): a Poem. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN:
9780547362656
Summary
Sean Qualls illustrates Langston Hughes poem, “Lullaby for a Black Mother.” A mother wonders aloud what lullaby she will sing to her baby.
Critical Analysis
Layout
This poem by Langston Hughes is in the format of a picture book poem so each line or fragments of lines are displayed on each page. This format is ideal as a read aloud for the very young. Sean Qualls’ illustrations are geometric and colorful. It’s simplistic style make it easy for audiences to see in a storytime setting and is ideal for children 0-3. Illustrations match the lines displayed on the page. The page with the line “kissing the night” shows silhouettes of the mother and child puckering their lips to a cluster of stars.
After the poem a page is dedicated to a note about the author which recounts his life. This section also talks about the collection of poetry, “The Dream Keeper and Other Poems,” that this poem is from. The “Note About the Author” concludes with a list of suggested reading.
The last page displays the poem as a whole. Readers will see that the song embedded in the poem is indented. I would suggest viewing and reading the poem here before reading the book aloud to get a better sense of its meaning.
The Poet
Langston Hughes is an African American poet known for his poetry during the Harlem Renaissance. Many of his poems have been published in the picture book format such as “My People” and “I, Too, Am America.”
Poetic Elements
Hughes’ poem is lyrical and can easily be sung aloud. Repetition is the major reason it sounds lyrical. The first three lines begin with “My little.” Sections repeat with few words changed. Words are repeated twice in a row, “moon moon” and “stars stars.”
Readers get a sense of the night with Hughes’ words. Qualls complements with a cool and gentle color scheme. We can imagine the twinkling night with lines like, “great diamond moon” and the metaphor, “a necklace of stars.”
Appeal
This poem is about a bedtime song. Babies and toddlers are drawn to music. In my experience in conducting storytimes for this age group I find the most success when my books can be sung to my audience. Even the most fidgety of children hold their focus and fall silent. This book can easily be part of a bedtime book collection in a home. It is soothing, calming, and loving.
Overall Quality
The poem includes vocabulary appropriate for the intended audience. Hughes uses a combination of metaphor, affectionate love between mother and child, and vocabulary of the night sky a young child could understand.
Final Analysis
I would highly suggest this book as a read aloud in storytime, a book for a poetry display, and as a gift for a new mother. It is concise and sweet.
The Poem
Lullaby (For a Black Mother)
My little dark baby,
My little earth-thing,
My little love-one,
What shall I sing
For your lullaby?
Stars,
Stars,
A necklace of stars
Winding the night.
My little black baby,
My dark body’s baby,
What shall I sing
For your lullaby?
Moon,
Moon,
Great diamond moon,
Kissing the night.
Oh, little dark baby,
Night black baby,
Stars, stars,
Moon,
Night stars,
Moon,
For your sleep-song lullaby!
Poem Connections
This is a great poem
to share in a baby storytime or for mother’s day. Pair with other stories and
songs about the emotional depths of motherhood, such as I Love You Forever by Robert Muncsh.
