Analysis of The Negro Speakes of Rivers

Langston Hughes 1902 (Joplin) – 1967 (New York City)



I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
     the flow of human blood in human veins.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
     went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy
     bosom turn all golden in the sunset.

I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.


Scheme Axx A xxxxxx Aa A
Poetic Form
Metre 1110 11101010101010 0111010101 111111010 11000101101 11111010011111 110101010100011 11010100101110 1111100011110 101110001 1110 10110 111111010
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 563
Words 117
Sentences 8
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 3, 1, 6, 2, 1
Lines Amount 13
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 85
Words per stanza (avg) 21
Font size:
 

Submitted on February 11, 2022

Modified on May 03, 2023

36 sec read
302

Langston Hughes

James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry. Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the negro was in vogue" which was later paraphrased as "when Harlem was in vogue". more…

All Langston Hughes poems | Langston Hughes Books

28 fans

Discuss this Langston Hughes poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Negro Speakes of Rivers" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/120110/the-negro-speakes-of-rivers>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    11
    days
    21
    hours
    32
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    How many lines does a sonnet have?
    A 16
    B 14
    C 18
    D 12