The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers was written by a great American writer and social activist, Langston Hughes. It was first published in The Crisis journal in 1921. The poem portrays the memories of African slavery, including the moment when Abraham Lincoln tried to eradicate it. The narrator talks from the core of his heart and offers insights into his roots, memories connected to Africa’s ancient rivers.
This poem is written from an old soul’s viewpoint and tries to establish a link between the past and present. The speaker starts the poem by stating a connection to the ancient rivers of the world, possibly meaning the time before Africans were brought to America as slaves and were living peacefully. This profound and descriptive explanation shows the tremendous intelligence of the narrator and helps him to make a definitive connection between people of his race and the rest of human civilization. White Americans often saw their darker-skinned counterparts as less than human in the early twentieth century, and here Hughes offers concrete evidence of historical justice.
Nowadays, the world is striving for a totally inclusive community, and even though racism as the phenomenon still exists, it could be seen that the acceptance of people with different skin color has improved throughout the centuries. By stating that “I have known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers,” (Hughes, 2009) the author tries to say that the African-American community has experienced negative and dark moments in the past. However, by further declaring, “My soul has grown deep like the rivers,” (Hughes, 2009) the author assures the readers that nowadays Africans have become stronger by withstanding pain and suffering.
The poem deliberately portrays the history of the black, which definitely has a reflection on the American society nowadays. Thus, The Negro Speaks of Rivers demonstrates how the Afro community has grown stronger during the centuries: they went from being oppressed slaves to possessing the same rights as the other American citizens.
Reference
Hughes, Langston. (2009). The Negro Speaks of Rivers. New York, NY: Hyperion Book CH.