The Negro Speaks of Rivers

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

by Langston Hughes

I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than 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.

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First time to read this poem I felt I have been love this poem, besides I’ve read it many time and suddenly realize Hughes used natural to express his idea, especially used the river. The river is always considered to be the cradle of civilization, such as China has the Yellow River, Egypt has the Nile, west Asia has the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and Indian has Indus River. Furthermore, those ancient rivers are the older the human history, even human death its will be continuous. But I found up poet mentioned that river of the Euphrates, the Nile, and the Mississippi River; those rivers have the same common they were slaves, dark skinned property. Maybe poet with allusions the deep dusk rivers, the setting sun, sleep, and the soul want to show the image of death and, meanwhile, the ideal of deathlessness. Because generation to the next generation, just like the rivers the spirits and culture will continue on.