The Negro Speaks of Rivers Questions and Answers
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
How does the speaker support his idea that his “soul has grown deep like the rivers”?
The speaker shows that his soul has grown deep like rivers when he recounts the experiences that connect him to his heritage. According to the eNotes Study Guide, the author, Langston Hughes, was...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Why does Langston Hughes describe the rivers as "ancient" and "dusky" in line nine of his poem "The Negro Speaks of...
In this poem, Hughes establishes the strength of African Americans by creating a connection to the history that unites them. Rivers often symbolize a flow of experience or a source of life, and...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
How does the author use symbolism in the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" to develop its primary theme?
The primary use of symbolism in this poem is the symbolism of the rivers. The speaker, who represents African Americans, connects his history, and thus the history of African Americans, to the...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What is the mood of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?
The mood of the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" is dignified and wise. Langston Hughes establishes a connection between the ancient rivers of the past, which birthed civilization, to the...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What can be associated with the rivers in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Langston Hughes?
Langston Hughes was a Black author, and he constructs this poem from the viewpoint of the Black experience, which is key to understanding how rivers are used throughout the poem. Note that the...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Why are the rivers mentioned in the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" significant?
Langston Hughes’ poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” names four rivers: The Euphrates, The Congo, The Nile, and The Mississippi. In the poem, rivers are used to convey racial memory across millennia...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What is the significance of each of the rivers named in lines 4–7 of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers?"
The Euphrates River is the longest in western Asia and is commonly referred to as the "cradle of civilization." Hughes links himself to this history of a young world when there were few people...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
In "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", what aspect of human biology does the speaker compare to rivers?
Langston Hughes’ beautiful poem about the journeys that African-Americans have taken uses a metaphor to describe how the river, as a source of travel, is like “the flow of human blood in human...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
In “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” what point do you think Hughes is making with the names for rivers at four different...
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” is narrated in the first person by a speaker who insistently claims knowledge of and association with “rivers ancient as the world.” In the central stanza, he refers to...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What viewpoint does Hughes use in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?
Hughes employs a first-person narrator who uses the pronoun "I" to discuss his or her experiences; however, this narrator appears not to be a single person but, rather, a symbol that represents all...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Identify a critical appreciation of the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."
Much critical analysis of Hughes' poem lies in how there is a fusion of history and the experience of the individual. Hughes does an exemplary job of being able to link together the essence of...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What emotions is Langston Hughes trying to evoke in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?
As a preface to his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," Langston Hughes wrote, I had been in to dinner early that afternoon on the train. Now it was just sunset, and we crossed the Mississippi...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
In what ways does the speaker of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" show how he identifies himself with his cultural...
The speaker uses specific examples of his Black cultural ancestry in this poem, tying himself to both his distant and near cultural heritage. He emphasizes this sense of oneness and identity by...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Please help me with the meaning of these lines from "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." "i've known rivers ancient as the...
These lines are part of the poem's essence. The idea of an individual, a Black individual, being a part of the world historical stage so as to be able to "know rivers ancient as the world," helps...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
How do I compare and contrast the tones of these three poems from Langston Hughes: I, Too, Negro Speaks of Rivers,...
I agree with what the previous poster says, but I would encourage you to begin answering your question by defining the word "tone" for your own purposes. "Tone" is not the same as "theme," for...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Compare Langston Hughes' “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and Claude McKay's in "If We Must Die" and tell how they are...
In comparing Langston Hughes' poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," and Claude McKay's poem, "If We Must Die," the difference of the mood of the two poems is what strikes me most. McKay is...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What emotions do you think Langston Hughes was trying to evoke in the poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?
It is said that the idea for this poem came to Hughes when he crossed the Mississippi River on his way to visit his father.As an African American, the Mississippi would have been more than just a...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Explain at least 5 events that are significant to the characterization of Mr. Neck.
In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, an interesting character is illustrated in the social studies/MISS teacher Mr. Neck. Mr. Neck is one of the first people to speak to Melinda on opening...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What is the setting in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?
Langston Hughes's poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" has a universal setting. In the poem, the narrator travels through time and space. The poem begins in the Euphrates, which was, along with the...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
One of the goals of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" is to have American society acknowledge African Americans "as owners...
The answer to this question is, of course, a matter of personal opinion. My own view is that such a goal is not nearly as necessary today as it was in 1920 when Langston Hughes wrote this poem....
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What is a summary/analysis of this poem?
Written by Langston Hughes while on a train as he gazed out the window of the Pullman and saw the mighty Mississippi River, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" is a poem whose theme is the role of rivers...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Analyze the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes. Please identify the main formal features of this...
In "The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” the speaker uses several perspectives and tenses. Although they consistently speak in the first person, the speaker is not simply an individual but more generally...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What characteristics of youth are prominently featured in Langston Hughes's poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?
In his poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," Langston Hughes juxtaposes diction related to ancient times with images of youth and vitality. His purpose is to show that though the African race is...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
How does the imagery and language used in Langston Hughes's poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and Jimmy Santiago...
Both Langston Hughes's “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and Jimmy Santiago Baca's “Cloudy Day” focus on an element of nature as their primary imagery. Hughes uses rivers, exploring the way his people...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Analyze the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Langston Hughes.
epollock's comments are very good, especially the opening focus on "human" history, not only African American history. This poem really interests me because it seems at once both racially specific...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
In the analysis of Hughes, Why did he choose those four rivers ans is there a significance to the order in which they...
I am assuming that you are talking about "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Langston Hughes. If so, then I think he chooses the four rivers for their significance. Their significances also shows in...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
How do rivers, broadly speaking, function symbolically in The Negro Speaks of Rivers?
A great question. The rivers work in several ways. Each of these reinforce the other, which is something you would want in a superior literary work. First, look at the specific rivers named. Hughes...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What values does, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Hughes and "Africa" by Angelou poems associate with Africa?
These are two very good poems to discuss together. I hadn't seen the connections before and appreciate your question. The speaker in Hughes' poem may be male, and the subject in Angelou's poem...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Give a critical analysis of Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" Would be very helpful if the answer is...
I agree with the two previous posters and want to add a few more details about what there might be to appreciate in the Langston Hughes' poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." The speaker is...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
In what ways does "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" reflect quite well the statement that poetic images are evocative.
In "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," Langston Hughes writes of rivers. Rivers are a life source and have existed throughout history. So shall the black man or woman exist throughout history. The first...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
How would you compare and contrast the work of these great black poets, L. Hughes “The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and C....
Langston Hughes' poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," and Claude McKay's "If We Must Die" seem to have completely different themes and goals to me. McKay's poem clearly speaks of choosing an...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
How is each poet's expression unique (Langston Hughes,“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and Claude McKay "If We Must Die")?
What makes Langston Hughes' expression unique in his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," is his reliance on the metaphor comparing the black race to rivers, which he is saying are both ancient,...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
How does the imagery and language used in Langston Hughes' poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and Alain Locke's essay...
One significant difference between the imagery and language in Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and Alain Locke's essay "The New Negro" is seen with respect to content and theme. For...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Langston Hughes gives us some images involving rivers in his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." What do you...
These images of rivers form a kind of collective memory for African Americans. In dreaming of the rivers of their ancestral homeland, they are transported back in time to the very dawn of...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
I need ideas for an essay using either an historical or biographical approach to "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by...
Langston Hughes has said of the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" that: Many of my poems have been about the history of the Negro people. In this poem, 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers', I try to link,...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
What are some salient points of interest hidden within "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"? Explicate, elaborate, discuss,...
Hughes, in this famous poem, gives us snapshots of history, but perhaps his most significant point is to show the interrelation of the specific history of people of color with the general history...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Discuss the difference between hearing Hughes' work "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" as a poem as opposed to hearing it...
Simply put, I am not sure the concept and idea of the poem works as well if it is written in paragraph form. I don't think that Hughes is trying to construct an essay, or some type of expository...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Examine if the poem succeeds or fails in the attempt to have American society acknowledge African- Americans "as...
Like the poem, the answer to this question is a complex one. The poem succeeds in its attempt to have American society acknowledge African- Americans as owners of a culture given to the nation....
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Help with the viewpoint of "We Real Cool" & "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." The poems “We Real Cool” and “The Negro...
The previous post was accurate in that the unusual viewpoint is not clear to us for the unit was not thoroughly explained. This is where you would have to contrast the viewpoint in both Brooks'...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Who is the "I" of the poem?
The "I" of the poem is the "Negro" referenced in the poem's title. He is literally a person who is talking about rivers. He does not seem to be one particular black man but, rather, a sort of...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Choose two lines from Langston Hughes's "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and explain their relevance to the poem as a whole.
The reason this poem is so extraordinary is the way Hughes compresses so much humanity and such a sweep of time into just thirteen lines. Before we even read the poem, the title gives us some...
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
How did Hughes address the idea of race in America? How would you describe the overall tone of his work?
In addition to "solemn strength," one could also say that there is pride—pride in the "Negro's" resilience and permanence. Hughes's narrator makes his or her experience as a black person central to...