The Negro Speaks of Rivers

by Langston Hughes

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The Negro Speaks of Rivers Questions and Answers

What is the significance of the rivers in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?

How does symbolism in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" develop its primary theme?

What is the mood of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?

What emotions does Langston Hughes evoke in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?

What is the significance of the rivers named in lines 4–7 of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers?"

What point does Hughes make by mentioning rivers from four historical periods in “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”?

Why are the rivers described as "ancient" and "dusky" in Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?

What associations are made with rivers in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Langston Hughes?

How does the speaker in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" illustrate his soul growing deep like the rivers?

What viewpoint is used in Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?

How does the imagery and language in Hughes's "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" compare to Baca's "Cloudy Day"?

How do Langston Hughes' “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and Claude McKay's "If We Must Die" differ?

In "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," what human biological aspect does the speaker compare to rivers?

What is the meaning of these lines from "The Negro Speaks of Rivers": "I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins"?

How does the speaker of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" identify with his cultural ancestors?

What are the main formal features—narration, verb tenses, patterns, and figurative language—in Hughes' “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”?

What are some ideas for a historical or biographical essay on Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?

What are five significant events that characterize Mr. Neck in The Negro Speaks of Rivers?

What is the setting in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?

What is a critical appreciation of the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?

What do the river images in Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" signify?

Who does "I" refer to in the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"?

Why did Hughes choose the four rivers in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and is their order significant?

Provide a critical analysis of Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers".

How does Hughes address race in America and what is the overall tone of his work?

How can one compare and contrast the tones of Langston Hughes' poems: "I, Too", "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", and "Theme for English B"?

How does "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" reflect that poetic images are evocative?