Langston Hughes’ The Negro Speaks of Rivers is a poem that dramatizes the conflict that occurred during the Harlem Renaissance era. I am able to see that Hughes had an dynamic and intense meaning for this specific poem. We are able to see that African Americans played a vital part in history. In this poem we are able to see our speaker break down the heritage and history of African Americans. There are many different references made throughout this poem starting with the Middle East civilization and ending with images of slavery viewed from the Mississippi River. There are many historical grounds covered throughout this short poem, we are able to gain all of this information he is able to speak on from experiences and stories from those around him. We see that Hughes is able to make connections with the African American society and rivers, we are able to see that because both have endured and have been able to withstand the good and the bad. Both forms have been through many different overpowering situations that eventually made them more knowledgeable. Throughout this entire poem we see the speaking for his ancestors and the historical importance they have had all over the entire world..
However, the poem begins with several oddities that suggest the speaker is saying more than what he seems to say
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After reading this poem multiple times I am able to see that the repetition does in fact add more meaning to the sentence. Repetition in this poem helps the reader see the dual meanings that make reference to the roots and the history of African Americans that work to intertwined this poem. I feel that Hughes is able to convey multiple messages in his poem because of the particular writing style he chose, repetition, and