The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers was written by Langston Hughes. The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers is about the black people who were brought to America and enslaved by slave traders, and how that has an effect on them today: The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers, published in 1921, focuses on a group rather than an individual. The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers represents the Africans and African Americans in a group rather than individuals because it is important to represent all of them together, and not just one person who may be an exception to the rule.
The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers also covers much more than just the effects that slavery has had on African-Americans; The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers highlights much more than that such as how long they have been in America, their mental state during this time, their way of life before being put into slavery, and what they wish for after death. The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers opens with a question: “What does the ‘black’ think? ” (Hughes). By asking this, The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers poses the question to the viewer.
The question forces them to think about The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers in a new light and re-examine what they have already read in The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers. The opening question also makes the reader start questioning why this question is being asked. The opening line has multiple meanings, one meaning is that it represents how African Americans are constantly questioned about their thoughts on race relations even though they are not always the ones doing the racism.
By asking this question, Langston Hughes makes readers feel uneasy because many people often ask an African American person their opinion on racism although it is not up to them whether or not racism can take place, but rather it is up to The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers because The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers may offend a reader who does not understand The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers.
The question also focuses on the thoughts that African Americans have now as well as those they have had during their time being enslaved. The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers continues onto another line which states, “What does the ‘black’ sing” (Hughes). In this line, Hughes praises African Americans for staying strong through all of their hardships even though it seems like they may give up. The next line says, “Of the great star-gleam” (Hughes).
This part focuses on how a black person would view a shooting star. The star-gleam represents hope to The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers. The “black” would be hopeful because The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers comes out at a time when African Americans are being criticized for wanting equal rights so The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers reminds them that they are not alone. The next line in the poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers is, “And the sorrowful low moans”, which makes readers feel sad just by reading it.
This part focuses on how much The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers has suffered while being enslaved and how little respect they have received while deciding what to do with their own lives. Although many people believe that slavery was abolished after The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers was published, The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers still had to work on plantations with very little pay. The idea of not getting paid for your work may seem modern, but The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers were treated this way for years without receiving any money at all.
The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers continues onto another line which says, “Of the bulging eyes”, (Hughes). This part is about how African Americans are constantly seen as violent even though they are more peaceful than The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers. They try very hard to stay positive and hopeful in a negative world whereas The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers would rather fight back when provoked.
The title The Negro Speaks of Rivers refers to one of the stanzas in the poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers. The phrase “I’ve known rivers” appears four times in The Negro Speaks of Rivers, which connects the recurring river imagery throughout African-American literature with a sense that there are common themes or shared experiences within it. This line also emphasizes the amazing resilience and strength that African Americans have had to possess just to survive while being constantly oppressed during many periods throughout history.
The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers was written in regards to The Great Migration, which refers to the relocation of more than 6 million African Americans from the South to other areas of the United States that had better opportunities or less racial discrimination. The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers also refers to The Harlem Renaissance, which lasted from about 1920-1930 and was a movement in writing, art, music & theatre.
The Harlem Renaissance allowed for African American culture to flourish under segregationist America by creating an atmosphere where all types of people could come together and share their work. The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers talks about how African Americans have created symbols with rivers such as baptism , gathering places for family or community transportation , ways through life (life-givers) , or conflict (war, slavery). The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers also references the Nile River which symbolizes continuity between past & present generations.
The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers also talks about how African Americans have faced many obstacles throughout their lives, but are still able to survive because they will always have each other and their connection to water. The symbolism in The Negro Speaks of Rivers relates to the time period when it was written because The Great Migration occurred during this time period so there were many events regarding African American history around this time.
The Harlem Renaissance allowed for an increased amount of literature surrounding The Great Migration, making the subject matter in The Negro Speaks of very accessible to readers at that point in time. The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers was written during the Harlem Renaissance which is when African American culture flourished under segregationist America by creating an environment where people from different backgrounds were able to come together and share their work.
The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers uses rivers as a symbol in order to connect the experiences throughout African-American literature, showing that all types of people have had similar experiences due to oppression. The river imagery in The Negro Speaks of Rivers contributes to its title because there are many instances in history where African Americans have been oppressed or separated in some way, but still find a way through it because they will always have each other and their connection to water.