Which quality of Langston Hughes's poetry MOST closely reflects the influence of jazz music?

• A. Its use of extended metaphor
• B. Its irregular rhyme schemes
• C. Its formal repetition
• D. Its reliance on free verse

Answer: (C)

Jazz influence in poetry shows up most clearly in rhythm and repetition, the way a line or phrase comes back like a chorus. Hughes often uses formal repetition—repeated lines and refrains—to create a chant-like, swing-era cadence that mirrors how jazz motifs recur and evolve during a performance. This repeated structure gives the poems a musical momentum that feels both spontaneous and purposeful, capturing the improvisational spirit of jazz without losing clarity. While free verse and flexible rhythms also convey musicality, the strongest tie to jazz here is the deliberate repetition that builds energy and communal resonance.