THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS: LANGSTON HUGHES

I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world older than the
Flow of human veins

My soul has grown deep like the rivers
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 the New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers

My soul has grown deep like rivers.
 

This poem was written by James Langston Hughes, an African-American poet who was born February 1, 1902 and died May 22, 1967.

Poem Plot
The river in the poem symbolizes the linkage of human life from time in memorial to the present day. He mentions the rivers Euphrates and Mississippi which represents the history of mankind from biblical times to the period of the American Civil War. The poet also claims to have bathed in Euphrates when dawns were yong. This signifies the origin of civilization. He also mentions Congo which signifies that Congo is ever present in mother-Africa. All the poet is trying to let the reader decode is that both the White, Black, Yellow or even the mixed races have shared similar experiences and therefore they should unite instead of unnecessarily causing division. The poet brings to light his American experience when he writes "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". He reminds us here about the slave trade and the importance of the river symbolizes the human blood of all races. In this poem, the river symbolizes mankind. The river flows like a blood which we are all linked by as children of God.

Structure of the poem
It is a ten line poem with no particular rhythmic pattern. It is a five stanza poem. The poem is prosaic(which means it is written in form of a prose) .

Poetic Devices
1. Diction: The poet's vocabulary or language is easy to understand as he uses everyday language. The poem is a free verse poem. The diction is simple and plain.

2. Tone/Mood: Joy, love and fascination described the mood of the poem along with praise, appreciation and Melody.

3. Hyperbole: lines 5-10 of the poem are exaggerated. Examples are 'I bathed in the Euphrates....to muddy/bosom turn all golden in the sunset'.

4. Symbolism: The "rivers" and "Negroes" spoken about in this poem are symbolism of the soul and unity, the government and love.

5. Similie: This is dominant in lines 10 and 23
"I've known rivers as ancient as the world" (lines 2)
"My soul has grown deep like rivers"  (lines 3) also repeated in lines 10.

6. Metaphor: This is seen in lines 8 and 9

7. Personification:
"I heard the singing of the Mississippi" (lines 8)

8. Repetition:
Repetition is also seen in lines 2 and 8  (I have known rivers)

Themes
1. Theme of love
2. Theme of Racial Segregation
3. Them of equality

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