Published on Academy of American Poets (https://poets.org)

Island

Wave of sorrow,
Do not drown me now:

I see the island
Still ahead somehow.

I see the island
And its sands are fair:

Wave of sorrow,
Take me there.

Credit

From The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes (Vintage Books, 1995) by Langston Hughes. Used by permission Harold Ober Associates. 

Author

Langston Hughes

A poet, novelist, fiction writer, and playwright, Langston Hughes is known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties and was important in shaping the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance.

Date Published: 1995-02-01

Source URL: https://poets.org/poem/island-1