An Analysis of Langston Hughes’ poem. “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.”
Langston Hughes and “The Harlem Renaissance” are synonymous: he is hailed the greatest writer in African American Literature. His poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” is his most famous poem; this short poem is loaded with figurative language and feelings.
The name Langston was Langston Hughes’ mother maiden name; Langston Hughes has a rich heritage; his ancestors are white, African American, European, and Native American. He was born February 1, 1802 and died in May 22, 1967. He began writing in high school and was class poet. He was an equal rights activist and he was part of the innovation of the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes held many jobs but his writing was paramount and if a job prevented him from writing he would give up the job instead of his writing. It was speculated among his peers that he is homosexual; nonetheless no one has ever supported that claim. During his life time Hughes wrote poetry, short stories, novels and plays. His renowned poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” a poem that speaks volumes, was published in 1921;
Hughes uses one short line to begin his poem and repeats the words in the next line; this is done to emphasize the importance of the river image in the poem. In lines two and three he uses simile to show the infinity of the rivers—time; though one may know where the river ends hardly anyone ever knows where it begins; the river is juxtaposition against time. Hughes is saying that as long as there was time there was the river; he compares the flow of the blood in humans’ veins with the flow of the river. Over-flooding may cause a river to meander but it never changes course; like the flow of the blood that stays on a steady path. Even though the poetry is written in first person singular, Hughes is talking about his race collectively; the words “ancient” and “older” are signal words to the reader that Hughes is not talking about himself but his African ancestry. The river and the human veins also symbols roots as they spread out in different directions they are branches of one main root as his African descendants. The fourth line, “My soul has grown deep like the rivers.” is an allusion to the trials that the slaves endured. Hughes packs more than a lifetime of history in these short lines.
“The Negro speaks of Rivers,” can be interpreted as “The History of the Slaves’ journey to America.” In the next three lines Hughes uses the rivers Euphrates, Congo, and Nile, to show the Africans trek through Africa into America. Not only does he show their long journey to America he illustrate their lives in Africa, “I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young,” can mean two things: as children in Africa they bathe in the Euphrates, or they get up early in the morning to bathe in the river, which would be a common practice at the time. “Built my hut by the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.” It would make sense for communities to develop near rivers because they are their only source of water. It is easy to go to sleep listening to the slow, steady rhythm of the river. “I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.” This is the memory the Africans take with them from Africa; they retain a vivid painting of the pyramids in the background as they visualize the Nile.
The Negro Speaks of Rivers" vividly addresses the rich history of African American people. the audience views the African Americans' struggle with identity and society's disposition with African Americans. The poem's symbolism presents the relationships between rivers and African American life. The structure of the poem provides unity to the history of African Americans. Hughes' use of imagery also donates a great deal of broad details to understand African Americans' background (web).
Hughes dedicates the rest of the poem to the Negro’s plight in America. “I heard the singing of the Mississippi” To minimize their pain the salves would sing as they work and of course their cries would become louder as Abe Lincoln passes by; they want him to hear their aching as they sing. Sunset on muddy water can be a spectacular sight and this statement can also be a metaphor for a better life, changing from muddy to golden sunset. At he end of his poem Hughes again repeats almost all of the first words suggesting that slavery is ended but there is still tribulations to endure. “My soul has grown deep like the rivers,” ends the poem as his people gear up to meet the next onslaught. “There was a tone of promise in the words \"I\'ve seen it\'s muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.\" (l 9-10) as the Mississippi changed with the coming of freedom. Hope shines from the lines of the piece” (web).
Langston Hughes writer, poet, novelist, playwright, innovator and activist was a man who wore many hats; and he wore the equally well. “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” was written at age eighteen and it is uncanny that a person so young could have written such a masterpiece and exhibit such a command of figurative language.
Work Cited
“’The Negro Speaks of River,’ by Langston Hughes” (2008). Web. 1 Aug., 2013
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers Analysis” (2011). Web 1 Aug., 2013
