An African-American Voice

Paper Summary:

The paper examines Langston Hughes' poems "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and "Theme for English B" where he documents the struggles and survival of his people. The paper analyzes both poems and explains that while both poems give African-Americans a voice, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" shows how it feels to be a part of a culture that was shaped by certain historical places and events while "Theme for English B" shows what it was like to be an individual with African-American roots living in America.

From the Paper:

"In the poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Hughes uses different rivers throughout the world to signify the development of humanity and show how African Americans are tied to them. In the first line of the poem, the poet reaffirms that he has "known" rivers. Because the poet has "known" rivers, he understands where his people come from and therefore, all generations are connected by the river. Water is an essential element in the survival of all civilizations. Hughes then says that he has known rivers that are as old as the world, even older than the blood that flows through human veins. Blood runs through veins like water flows through rivers. In this way, the poet compares a river to a human vein, each having something that flows through them. Both veins and rivers are sources of life. Veins carry oxygenated blood throughout the body keeping it alive and rivers have a constant source of water flowing through them."

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