The Negro Speaks of Rivers free essay sample

The Negro Speaks of Rivers. The perpetual hardships of African American people constantly fueled by the soul-searching and identity complexities have always been an integral part of the African American mental concept troubled by the eternal quest for complacency and inner peace. Nevertheless,it was not always easy to articulate this quest for ones own identity due to the perpetual influences of the dominant white cultural which efficiently managed to subdue all the minor voices which unsuccessfully attempted to emerge from the darkness and shadows of identity entrapment. Subsequently, it took a long time for particular voices to emerge and to overpower the mental obstacles and chains of ignorance which disabled the spiritual African-American voices to celebrate their own culture,history,identity and consequently existence. The emergence of the Harlem Renaissance symbolize the dawn of a new era which opened up the gates of liberation through celebration of African-American past and and the present. We will write a custom essay sample on The Negro Speaks of Rivers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One of the most prominent examples of this tendency to expose the cultural darkness can be found in Langston Hughes poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers,which delineates a compelling and yet honest poetic structure nurtured in the deepest corners of human soul. Hughes, one of the most prominent characters of The Harlem Renaissance, writes a short poem which seemingly depicts his knowledge of rivers and his tendency to praise them. Nevertheless,the the truth of this poem lies much more deeper and it is driven by the empathy and compassion in the purest of all forms. The dark history of African American people has always been inevitably associated with the concept of river,and Hughes,uses this symbol to illuminate certain historical facts about his people which were evident, rarely discussed and often suffocated which was a characteristic of his era,as well as those centuries before him. Langston Hughes masterfully uses his voice to compensate for the history of subdued and never heard African -American voices,which were destined to drown in oblivion and escape a meaningful articulation. Ive known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins introduces us with the notion that the author is fully capable of identifying and personifying the history of the African American storyline with the concept of river. The author denotes that he is fully aware of the painful heritage of his people and incessant quest for the definition of culture and identity. The African American people who were classified as a river wer e engaged in the struggle for self definition in perpetual motion since their very emergence. Nevertheless, their struggle was always circular and disabled from reaching the peak of fully defining their own self, the same way the flow of blood in the veins is circular and never clearly defined,indicating that the African American roots were always perplexed and prevented from fully realizing their potential while thriving along the rivers of this world. Rivers which are older than the flow of human blood symbolize the struggle which is older than the life itself. Struggle to find peace and knowledge of self. When the speaker says that his soul has grown deep like the rivers, he indicates the journey into the depths of his soul and the most powerful analogy can be found with the river which foreshadows and personifies this personal abyss of development and his ability to grow together with his roots and its legacy. It also indicates that the rivers of his roots inspired him and shaped him into an individual he is today. Rivers give life and the struggle of his ancestors defined his character and illuminated his soul. Speaker states that he bathed in the Euphrates , built his hut near the Congo, And that he looked upon the Nile and raised pyramids above it which, of course,is physically impossible. It is clear that he gives voice to different types of hardships his ancestors endured in different areas around the world. Nevertheless, the bloody fields of African -American suffer and slavery were still placed near the rivers which symbolize life and give power to dreams, consequently impacting and compounding to the speakers sense of pride and celebratory validation of his peoples roots and history. Still the bumpy road of his roots blossomed when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans and witnessed firsthand the horrors of slavery enabling the speaker to see its muddy bossom, turn all golden in the sunset depicting the abolition of slavery and the beginning of African-American transformation from the depths and darkness of slavery into the light of liberation basked in the rays of hope.