Langston Hughes s Poem, Negro Speaks Of Rivers - 964 Words

In Langston Hughes’ inspirational poem, â€Å"Negro Speaks of Rivers,† he expresses, â€Å"My soul has grown as deep like the rivers,† (lines 4 and 13), describing how his encounters with racial intolerance have made him stronger as a person in both spiritual and emotional ways; rather than to just step down and submit to the cruelty of racism. The quote could also be interpreted as a sign of perseverance and hope for people who have experienced not only racial injustice, but other forms of degradation in society, both past and present. Langston Hughes uses rivers in his poem as an interpretation of life. At the moment Langston Hughes was inspired to write this poem, he was looking out the window in the train in which he was travelling. On his trip, the train was going across the Mississippi River during sunset he witnessed the magnificence and beauty of nature. This was enough to remind him of hope and all things positive, along with the motivation he needed to compose the poem. I believe the author repeated the use of the word river because it is symbolic. Rivers continue on the path they go; they never stop flowing forward regardless of the circumstances. That is what Langston Hughes wanted the audience to know, and himself as well. Everyone can look forward to a brighter tomorrow even if there is something that holds them back. When everything seems like it is all lost, the only last resort we have is hope. That is the key theme of the entire poem, hope is strength and thatShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Langston Hughes ´ The Negro Speaks of Rivers927 Words   |  4 PagesLangston Hughes A Poetic of the Harlem Renaissance During the Harlem Renaissance copious African Americans writers arose from this movement including Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, and especially Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes has endured hardships from the time his parents separated to being raised in different cities. Hughes has tried multiple times to reconnect with his father, but it never succeeded. Although Langston Hughes has a complicated relationship with his fatherRead More Symbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son1651 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son Langston Hughes uses symbolism throughout his poetry. In the poems The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son, Langston Hughes uses symbolism to convey his meaning of the poems to the readers. Readers may make many interpretations about the symbols used throughout these poems. Throughout the poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers Hughes uses metaphorical statements to suggest to the readerRead More Langston Hughes Essay1049 Words   |  5 Pagesperhaps even in any century, can be compared to Langston Hughes. Hughes wrote with his heart and soul, creating poems that everyone could understand. He expressed love for all races, colors, and religions and did not judge anybody until he had reason to judge them. He wrote to entertain, to inspire, to teach, and to make a point. His way with words made him the most popular and prolific black writer of the twentieth century (Offinoski, 32). Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902Read MoreThe Negro Speaks Of Rivers By Langston Hughes1055 Words   |  5 Pageswelcome to Radio 7’s first series of â€Å"Strange Fruit† where we analyse and evaluate how a poet presents their values, attitudes and perspectives through their poem. I’m your host PERSON 1 and I’m pleased to be here with the wonderful PERSON 2, a poetry critic and history university lecturer, who will be talking about the poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† by Langston Hughes. So first of all PERSON 2 who is Langston Hughes and when did he write â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers†? Langston Hughes was a novelistRead MoreLangston Hughes : African American Poetry1305 Words   |  6 PagesLangston Hughes: African American Poetry Langston Hughes grew up in a time of segregation, as a African American man living during the Civil Rights movement. During this time Langston wrote poetry from this point of view as a African American. Langston Hughes poetry is important due to his content, imagery, and voice. Through Langston’s voice he strengthened African Americans hope while opening the eyes of the white man to see what they are doing is wrong. Langston Hughes was born February 1,1902Read MoreLangston Hughes And The Harlem Renaissance1736 Words   |  7 PagesDream Called Langston As an artist, or literature, music or visual art, there is power in creating pieces that move the masses. For an African American artist in the 1920’s, that power was fought for harder and dimmed due the racial inequalities across America. Being acknowledged as a credible artist was equated to being acknowledged as an American during a time where African American citizens were not considered an equal under the law. The Harlem Renaissance, spanning from the mid 1920’s to the lateRead MoreThe Black Man and Langston Hughes1601 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough heritage, tradition, and folk traditions. Langston Hughes to me has been nourishing the black sensibility and inspiring it to create Afro American literation and transforming it into a â€Å"literature of struggle.† The poetry of Langston Hughes has the theme of â€Å" I, too sing America† He made extraordinary contributions to American literature and has came to be regarded as a leading voice in the Renaissance of the arts in the 1920’s. Hughes growing up asked the same question to himself ofRead MoreHarlem : A Middle Class White Community999 Words   |  4 PagesHarlem was once a middle class white community, but by the year 1925, it was known as the Mecca of the new Negros. Back in the history of America, when many black Americans were literally deprived of their liberty of rights, a social and a political movement evolved, which was known as the Harlem Renaissance. It lasted into the early years of the great depression and not only was it a political and a social movement but also an artistic one to be precise. The movement outbreak motivated the trendRead MoreThe Poetry Of Langston Hughes1727 Words   |  7 PagesLangston Hughes is arguably one of the best known American writers of the twentieth century. He played an important influential part in the Harlem Renaissance, his poetry and other literary works helped pave way to a new wave of African American culture and literature. Hughes had a wide variety of works, he was much more than just a poet; he was a short-story writer, novelist, and playwright (Brucker). He was also very involved in the Black Arts Movement, and had works published in â€Å"The Crisis† theRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes And His Views On Early 20th Century African American Society Essay1717 Words   |  7 PagesConnor Gamble Mrs. Carson AP Literature 7 December 2016 Langston Hughes and His Views on Early 20th-Century African American Society When African American slaves were released from slavery following the American Civil War, the ethnic group was now able to control their own lives, and the U.S had to acknowledge their freedoms and rights as American citizens. However, despite bold beliefs from the war, many white Americans still continued to deny equality to those of color. In addition, African Americans