Wiki Article

Wikipedia Article

The Negro Spoke of Rivers

I've known rivers

 I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the

 flow of human blood in 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 to 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 the rivers.

 

As I begin the research for my wiki article  I have realize that I am so into the symbolism of this poem.

In the poem Hughes speaks of rivers, and I decide to quickly google the symbolism of the poem. To my surprise it is exactly what I thing it symbolizes according to  http://www.shmoop.com/negro-speaks-of-rivers/rivers-symbol.html website  .

The rivers are the main symbolism. The rivers are viewed as a metaphor for the black community. James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. During an era where segregation and racism was still extrusive.  This poem was written when he was still in high school. I feel like the rivers symbolize the connection of the heritage of African Americans and the adversities that they faced. To me is like he is speaking of the connections of generations in the black community.