The Negro Speaks Of Rivers By Langston Hughes: Summary, Analysis, Meaning

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23 February 2017
Technical Analysis of The Negro speaks of rivers by Langston Hughes
In the short poem written by Langston Hughes – The Negro speaks of the river – it could be implied that the main character who was narrating was a man of old age who have already gained wisdom through his age. This type of maturation could be further seen from the narrator’s words as he stated: “My soul has grown deep like the rivers”. However, in order to analyze the main theme of this paper, I believe that it would be best to conduct our analysis side by side with the context while Hughes was writing about this. According to Poets.org Hughes is most famous for his “insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties”. However, even before he became well-known it is worth noting that Hughes was influenced by the works of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman, who have dedicated a number of their works for the African Americans. This context is important because during these times, African Americans are starting to gain status and roles in the society which would later be associated with the advent of the Harlem Renaissance. Thus, however subtle it may be, it could be argued that Hughes wrote this to show how “the negro” (African Americans) have matured through time and to espouse the idea about the innate wisdom that they had to offer. Aside from this, it is, also apparent how Hughes have utilized th...