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The Negro Speaks of Rivers

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The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Throughout the poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” by Langston Hughes he speaks about four different but specific rivers. The four rivers include Euphrates, the Congo, the Nile and the Mississippi River. Each of the rivers represents something either Hughes has experienced or his African American culture has experienced. Hughes shows his spiritual strength along with his identity to connect with his ancestors. Many of Hughes writings have to do with racial pride and personal dignity. The structure of the poem lists the rivers in order of which historical moments happened throughout history. Robina Winbush says, Hughes writes to remind a people who had been enslaved that their history began long before 1619,when their ancestors who had been snatched from their homelands, survived the horrors of the Middle Passage and were brought in chains to the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and Brazil (Winbush). The most important part of the poem is when Hughes says: “I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep. I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.” (Hughes, 5-10) He goes through each river, each one representing a different part of African American experiences throughout history. The first river, “I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young,” (Hughes, 5) symbolizes the beginning of the world’s civilization. This was a time before racial issues and slavery, when the world was young. The next river he speaks about is the Congo, “I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep” (Hughes, 6). This symbolizes the normal activities that black men were expected to do. The Congo River represents natural resources needed to survive at this time. When he says it lulled me to sleep, it is like a mother singing a lullaby to her baby. The next river Hughes speaks about is the Nile River, “I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it” (Hughes, 7). With this river, Hughes was trying to symbolize the beginning of the destruction of slavery, raising the pyramids above the Nile is like rising above slavery and becoming a part of society. Hughes then goes on to say, “I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset” (Hughes, 8-10). The Mississippi River symbolizes the Civil War and American slavery at that time. The muddy bosom turning golden represents the slaves being turned into free men. At the end of the poem, Hughes ties everything together. He ends the poem with, “I’ve known rivers: Ancient dusky rivers. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.” (Hughes, 11-13)
He is saying that he or his ancestors have been through the experiences that he has symbolized with each river, from the ancient time to the present. He is telling the reader that because of these experiences his soul has grown and he now has more knowledge from these experiences. There are many different themes that take place throughout the poem. The first one that stands out the most is race. Hughes goes through the struggle of the African American culture with each river he speaks about. He goes from the beginning of world’s civilization to the end of slavery, which celebrates his ancestors. The next theme is memories and the past. Hughes starts off with Euphrates, before he was even born, which represented the past. He goes on to write about the Civil War, representing the memories of his struggles. Lastly, freedom is a theme that is very important in this poem. The whole poem leads up the Civil War and the end of slavery, which gave the slaves freedom.

Works Cited
Hughes, Langston. "A Negro Speaks of Rivers." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. By Michael Meyer. 9th ed. 904. Print.
Winbush, Robina Marie. "For The Healing Of The Nations." Ecumenical Review 58.1/2 (2006): 14-19. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Mar. 2012.

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