The Negro Speaks Of Rivers - 1548 Words

Langston Hughes was an American poet, novelist, and playwright whose African-American themes names him a primary contributor to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. After moving from several cities, Hughes and his mother finally settled in Cleveland, Ohio. During this time, Hughes began to write poetry. One of his teachers introduced him to the poetry of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman, both whom Hughes would later cite as primary influences. By the time Hughes was enrolled at Columbia University in New York, he had already launched his literary career with his poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† in the Crisis, edited by W.E.B. DuBois. He also committed himself to writing mainly about African Americans. Leaving Columbia in 1922, Hughes spent the next three years in a succession of menial jobs and traveling abroad. He returned in late 1924, but by then he was well known in African American literary circles as a gifted young poet. Early on he was heavily influenced by the works of Walt Whitman and Carl Sandburg. Black poets Paul Laurence Dunbar, a master of both dialect and standard verse, and Claude McKay, a radical socialist who also wrote accomplished lyric poetry influenced Hughes as well. However, Sandburg, who Hughes later called â€Å"my guiding star,† was decisive in leading him toward free verse- a radically democratic modernist aesthetic. Langston Hughes rose to prominence during the Harlem Renaissance. His first two books, The Weary Blues (1926) and Fine Clothes to theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Negro Speaks Of Rivers796 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† - Langston Hughes â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† by Langston Hughes is a 10 line lyric poem in free verse. This poem is compiled of 5 stanzas with various line lengths. â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† doesnt rhyme, however, the repetition of the word â€Å"rivers† insinuates transition. This essay focuses on the importance of the word â€Å"rivers† throughout the poem because it discusses the origins of humanity and the interplay between racism and equality. Hughes discusses theRead MoreThe Negro Speaks Of Rivers By Langston Hughes1055 Words   |  5 Pagesthe poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† by Langston Hughes. So first of all PERSON 2 who is Langston Hughes and when did he write â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers†? Langston Hughes was a novelist, fiction, poet, playwright and fiction writer. He is known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through to the sixties and was important in shaping the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes wrote the poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† while on a trainRead MoreAn Analysis of The Negro Speaks of Rivers Essay952 Words   |  4 Pagespoems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, was written in 1921, long before Hughes would actually travel the world. However, without knowing the authors background and history, one might think it was written by a wise man of old age. Having only lived in various places in the United States, Hughes wrote this poem of an African American man who has seen the world, full with things many people never get to see, that nourished his soul and formed bonds with humans deepest roots. The four rivers the narratorRead MoreSymbolism in The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langs ton Hughes1074 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† by Langston Hughes Symbolism embodies Hughes’ literary poem through his use of the river as a timeless symbol. A river can be portrayed by many as an everlasting symbol of perpetual and continual change and of the constancy of time and of life itself. People have equated rivers to the aspects of life - time, love, death, and every other indescribable quality which evokes human life. This analogy is because a river exemplifies characteristics that can beRead MoreAnalysis of Langston Hughes ´ The Negro Speaks of Rivers927 Words   |  4 PagesHughes has tried multiple times to reconnect with his father, but it never succeeded. Although Langston Hughes has a complicated relationship with his father it led him to write one of the most well-known novels that gave him recognition: Negro Speaks of Rivers. Langston Hughes was born February 1st, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. Hughes’s father, James Nathaniel Hughes, left him and his mother and headed to Mexico. Hughes, his mother unable to provide for him, lived with his grandmother in LawrenceRead More Symbolism and Allusion in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers720 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism and Allusion in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers In Langston Hughes poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, he examines some of the roles that blacks have played throughout history. Ultimately, the poem asserts that in every one of these aspects the black people have been exploited and made to suffer, mostly at the hands of white people. The poem is written entirely in first person, so there is a very personal tone, even though the speaker symbolizes the entire black race.Read MoreLangston Hughes s Poem, Negro Speaks Of Rivers964 Words   |  4 PagesIn Langston Hughes’ inspirational poem, â€Å"Negro Speaks of Rivers,† he expresses, â€Å"My soul has grown as deep like the rivers,† (lines 4 and 13), describing how his encounters with racial intolerance have made him stronger as a person in both spiritual and emotional ways; rather than to just step down and submit to the cruelty of racism. The quote could also be interpreted as a sign of perseverance and hope for people who have experienced not only racial injustic e, but other forms of degradation inRead More The Use of Symbols in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers570 Words   |  3 PagesThe Use of Symbols in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers The poem ?The Negro Speaks of Rivers? by Langston Hughes contains many symbolic meanings about the identity of African Americans. Throughout the poem Hughes uses metaphorical statements to suggest to the reader what the soul of the African American has been through. The symbols of the old rivers from which the African American ideal has risen can be interpreted in many different ways. They represent the birth and growth ofRead More Sound and Sense in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers 1431 Words   |  6 PagesSound and Sense in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers    The text of the poem can be found at the bottom of this page.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Langston Hughes poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Hughes makes use of some interesting poetic techniques. This poem is written in free verse, and seems, at first glance, to be very unstructured. Hughes repeats words and lines, but does not make use of repeated sounds. Hughes rivers are very rich in symbolism, and are not just simple bodies of waterRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes Poem The Negro Speaks Of Rivers 1242 Words   |  5 PagesDaniel Lemaire Professor Merton Lee EN-101-12 28 October 2014 Essay 2 While reading Langston Hughes’ poem, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† the theme of roots is predominant throughout the reading, this theme raises question to the whole meaning of the poem. Although the word â€Å"roots† itself is never in the actual text, it contains strong details of the poem promoting deep imagery and depiction of veins, tributaries, and the roots of the plants and trees. Hughes wanted to give the reader the illusion