"The Negro Speaks of Rivers"

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that the image of the speaker in Langston Hughes' s"The Negro Speaks of Rivers" as a wise figure representing the black community throughout the ages is conveyed not only in the poem's title, but also its concrete and plain diction, its repetition, and its free verse form.

From the Paper:

"The speaker's use of repetition relays the serious tone of the poem and the communal wisdom of the Black community. The poem's repetition is very formulaic, much like the oral traditions and histories passed down by African griots. The repetition drives home the point to the audience as well as tying the story together and making it easier for the griot to remember. The speaker begins by asserting, "I've known rivers", a phrase that is repeated at the beginning of lines two and eight."

More papers on "The Negro Speaks of Rivers":

• Poem Review # 54924 : "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"
• Essay # 45905 : "Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance"
• Poem Review # 113897 : "An African-American Voice"

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