Read this poem by Langston Hughes:
The Negro Speaks 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.
-- Langston Hughes, 1926
When Langston Hughes wrote this poem in the 1920's, he used the phrase "The Negro" to mean people of African descent. This was, and still is, a poem about Black heritage.
Get the handout for this assignment here, or by clicking the link on the right side of this page.
2) What literary elements can you find in the poem, such as metaphor, simile, and imagery? Find at least three literary elements and circle them. Then, on the margins next to what you've found, name the literary element you’ve circled.
On the PAGE AND A HALF of lined paper I’ve included with the handout, or on regular lined 8.5x11 paper, describe the cultural references and overall meaning of the poem. Answer these questions in essay form:
What cultural references can you find in this poem?
To what actual historical facts and events is Hughes referring?
Remember to look for words that are capitalized. Do you recognize any of those names, and where are they from?
Be sure to also include a description of what literary elements Hughes uses in this poem, and explain how he uses them to convey the message of this poem.
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