I would like you to go to the following page: http://myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=langstonHughes
There you will find a mercifully succinct biography of our final summer reading author, Langston Hughes, by Jeff Trussell. This site is a part of the My Hero Poetry Project. This project is interesting. (In fact, if you scroll to the bottom of the page, you'll see lots of other poets described, and you might find someone you already like, or find a new favorite.)
Just under Mr. Trussel's writeup, you will see a link to the poetry project, http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83, and from there you will want to click on two poems: I, Too, Sing America, and The Negro Speaks of Rivers.
I would like you to blog your response to those two poems on my website.
To get you thinking, not that you have to answer these exact questions, look at the first poem, (I, Too) and ask yourself what does it mean to be an American for the person in this poem? When you look at the second poem, ask yourself what is the symbolism of the river? What did the river symbolize in Huck Finn? What about the locations that are mentioned in the second poem?
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In The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Langston Hughes uses rivers and cultural aspects of his African heritage in comparison with the Mississippi and cultural aspects of America to show that he is American, but doesn't forget his African roots. In quoting the poem, Langston Hughes says, "I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young." Later he talks about New Orleans and the Mississippi river. He clearly connects the old with the new, and proves they're both part of his life.
I think the rivers symbolize a journey - Huck's, a journey of adventure and learning. The Negro's journey was a journey in culture, from being an African to becoming an African American. I also think the river symbolize depth. Langston Hughes himself says, "My soul has grown deep like the rivers." A river might be literally deep, but in this context, has a slightly different meaning - emotional depth.
I, too, Sing America, a response to Walt Whitman's I Sing America stresses that America wasn't always the land of freedom for every citizen. The poem shows real bravery. My favorite line lies in the first stanza; he talks about being told to eat in the kitchen while there's company because he is a "darker brother", and he says "But I laugh, and eat well, and grow strong." He meant more than growing strong by eating. He meant growing strong in morale. And though in his time blacks and African Americans were meant to feel ashamed, Langston Hughes says, "Besides, they'll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed." It was brave to go against what both written and unwritten rules say, and he does it, and shames those who oppress him; it's inspirational.
Sources cited:
Hughes, Langston. "I, too, Sing America." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15615.
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15722.
I, Too, Sing America talks about Langston Hughes' idea of what freedom really is. The poem states "I am the darker brother" meaning this person is black and. A great amount of bravery is shown in this poem. "...I laugh, and eat well, and grow strong" shows that even though this person is the "darker brother", they are still able to live a wonderful life and grow strong not only physically but mentally as well. The second part of the poem which states "Tomorrow I'll be at the table when company comes. Nobody'll dare say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," then" shows that the darker brother has gained strength and is no longer afraid of others. He has decided that he will already be at the table, without being told to be there, and take advantage of his priveleges, which will shock others. The ending of the poem is the most powerful part. "They'll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed--" the poet states that eventually, even though black people have to struggle so much during this time, eventually there will be a time when the whites come to their senses and realize that the blacks are just as equal as the whites in every way possible.
In The Negro Speaks of Rivers Langston Hughes is referring the rivers as parts of life. He remembers his past, when he was near the Euphrates, the Congo, and the Nile, but now he is able to refer to the Mississippi. The rivers represent a journey, more like a journey through life. He states "I have known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers" this may represent the hard times in his life, or maybe just his past. He then states "My soul has grown deep like the rivers" which I feel means that Hughes has gathered many feelings and memories from his past and all of them together makes his own river grow deep, like the rivers he used to live by.
In Huck, I feel that the river was also a symbol of journeys. Huck's journey was more based upon education and learning different life lessons. The entire way down the river Huck always learned something new, whether it was bravery or if it was about trusting others, Huck always learned something, the river was Huck's journey.
Sources cited:
Hughes, Langston. "I, too, Sing America." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15615.
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15722.
Angela,
I completely agreed with just about everything that you said! You have such a unique way of writing and I love it!!! You made every point very clear!! Awesome job :)
Lindsey:
We were totally on the same page! Nice work.
Angela-
I liked what you had to say. You used good quotes and supported your opinions. I liked that you mentioned the river symbolizing a journey and depth then you went into detail..You also talked about the culture. "was a journey in culture." Which I did not think about before. Nice job.
Lindsey-
I like your ending sentence with the blacks and whites being equal. I felt you talked about the I, Too, Sing America a lot; which was good I thought that that was the harder poem to "think about" and you did a great job breaking it down and supporting your opinions. As well as providing quotes.. Great Job
In I, too, Sing America, the author Langston Hughes uses the prospective of an African American to show the prejudice involved with being a black citizen of the United States. The self proclaimed “darker brother” overcomes the hatred wrongfully instilled upon him by laughing it off rather than feeling ashamed like society wished. Furthermore, out of bravery, the African American in the poem says he will no longer put up with the injustice; he is ready to stand up for his rights and be treated and seen as an equal. “Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed-- I, too, am America.”
In The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Langston Hughes uses rivers to symbolize the journey of a Negro, tracing his African roots from his new African American identity. After all of his life experiences he is able to relate his soul to the river; “My soul has grown deep like the rivers.” To Hughes, the numerous rivers represent a cultural journey as opposed to Mark Twain who used the Mississippi River to journey for freedom in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Sources cited:
- Hughes, Langston. "I, too, Sing America." Poets.org. 2007. 15 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15615.
- Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Poets.org. 2007. 15 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15722.
Angela- I agree with everything you said. You did a good job at analyzing both of the poems. I liked how you supported a lot of what you said with direct quotes from the poems. Well done =)
Lindsey-You did a very good job at discussing both poems. You went into a lot of detail and added a lot of personal insight. Good Job =]
I, Too, Sing America, by Langston Hughes is a poem about the freedom of a black person or the “darker brother” as Hughes describes him. In the first section of the poem the boy is young and is obedient. “They send me to eat in the kitchen, when company comes.” This sentence relates to the social status. White and black people were not considered equal. They were separated at dinner and at social activities. The poem goes on to say that the black person laughed, ate, and grew in strength. He knew in his heart that he was valuable and that he was an American. He did not let the status or discrimination get to him. He said “Tomorrow, I'll be at the table when company comes. Nobody'll dare say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," Then.” This statement means that as time passes people of all races will understand and become equal. He also says that “They'll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed.” This means that the white people will see that he is just as important and free as them. Furthermore, the white people will be ashamed and saddened that they treated their brother, and fellow countryman so poorly.
In addition, the title of the poem is I, Too, Sing America, meaning that the young black person feels as though he is a part of America. He sings about America or freedom. He wants to be free and live like a free man. The last sentence of the poem is I, Too, am America. This sentence implies that he is now part of the country's past, present, and future. He is free from monarchy and tyrants. He is free to make decisions and have a family like his fellow countrymen.
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
by Langston Hughes
I've known rivers: My symbolism:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
flow of human blood in human veins.--------------------------------------------------------Wisdom
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.-------------------------------------------------------Learning
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.-------------------------------------------Importance
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.----------------------------------------Peace
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.--------------------------------------History
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln------------------------------------Wonder
went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in the sunset.---------------------------------------------------------Beauty
I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes, talks about the journey of a man's life and his relationship and experiences with nature. Hughes begins his poem with “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.” Hughes is saying that his soul has many different layers, and has many experiences. His feelings are diverse and deep. Furthermore, “I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.” The author is saying that he's been to places that were of great importance. “The Euphrates River is one of the most important rivers in the world. Along with the Tigris, it provided much of the water that supported the development of ancient Mesopotamian culture” (Holt, 1).
In The Adventures of Huck Finn, the river symbolized life's journey. The flowing river took Huck from one experience to another. Like in the poem, Huck saw the beauty of nature. Huck was able to fall asleep on the gently flowing river, and survive it's powerful grasp when the storms struck.
In addition, the author talks about the river lulling him to sleep, and hearing the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln was there. The significance of that statement is that “according to legend, Lincoln saw his first slave auction in New Orleans. Referring to the practice of slavery, he is thought to have said, “If I ever get a chance to hit that thing, I'll hit it hard” (Abraham Lincoln). “Once Abe had become president he issued and signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. It freed about 4 million African-Americans held as slaves in the Southern states” (Hero History). In conclusion, his life has been woven into history and that he has opportunities and a future thanks to the past.
Works Cited:
"Abraham Lincoln," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2007
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
"Hero History Abraham Lincoln." IMAHERO. 2003. StarRise Creations. 16 Aug 2007 http://www.imahero.com/herohistory/abe_herohistory.htm.
Holt, Zach. "Euphrates River History." May 2000. Bryant College. 16 Aug 2007 http://web.bryant.edu/~langlois/ecology/history.htm.
Hughes, Langston. "I,Too, Sing America." Poets.org from the Academy of American Poets. 1994. Harold Ober Associates Incorporated.. 16 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15615.
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers ." Poets.org from the Academy of American Poets. 1994. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 16 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15722.
In the poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Langston Hughes symbolizes in the same way Robert Frost did, with features of nature. Instead of the path less traveled, however, Hughes went with water, a very powerful symbol.
Water travels, like a journey or like a friendship drifting away. The river in Langston Hughes' poem could represent drifting out of an old life and drifting into new opportunities and friends.
I believe that Langston Hughes' intent was to portray that his life has been like many rivers. Like Huck Finn's river, his has been an adventure and a learning journey.
After reading I, Too Sing America, it became evident to this author that Langston Hughes powerfully spoke of the struggles of prejudice and racism. It seems that his rivers may have represented when he first realized the struggle:
"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. "
(Hughes. The Negro Speaks of Rivers)
I believe this passage shows a lifetime of struggle and also moments of glory. It seems that he gives a beginning to his struggle with the mention of the Euphrates,
and the end of the struggle, for the time of the poem, seems to be given with the evident beauty he saw in the Mississippi River.
He compares African and American rivers, both well known and both known to man as long as man has been known to the earth. He shows that he is a combination of these rivers, that his person is not one heritage, but instead an African-American. Langston Hughes beautifully combines two rivers to display that he is adapting to America, and will always be a part of Africa.
When he concludes with the thought that his "soul has grown deep like the rivers" (Hughes, The Negro Speaks of Rivers), Langston Hughes makes it evident that the struggles and glorious moments of his life have given him depth as a person.
After reading I, Too, Sing America, the poem moved me. Langston Hughes used an almost innocent tone when saying that they would someday recognize that he was beautiful, and that he would grow strong and eat just like them.
In this poem, Langston Hughes shows that he has been viewed as an embarrassment-
"They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,". Clearly, the struggle for equality amongst our country is embedded within this poem. Langston Hughes does a great job of displaying that The Land of the Free wasn't always just that - America has had much discrimination within it's society, and the struggle to break the invisible barriers may never end.
However, this courageous poem does a terrific job of showing the pain of the victims and the strength required just to persevere in the fight for equality. This poem is strong and speaks out to the reader, and is powerfully moving.
In writing this poem, Langston Hughes is showing that his race is not ugly, and they are nothing to be ashamed of. It is stated within this truly remarkable poem that he will grow strong, he will eat at the table and he will be seen as beautiful - and that he is, too, America. In writing this, Langston Hughes seperates himself by saying that he is not fighting for equality, he is showing that he is just as beautiful, American and noble as any other American citizen.
Sources cited:
Hughes, Langston. "I, too, Sing America." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15615.
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15722.
Angela - Your interpretation of the two poems was inspirational in itself. You were the first to post, and you seemed to really understand the concept of the poems. I loved what you wrote and it really intrigued me. Awesome!
Lindsey [: Awesome! Your perspectives were similar to Angela's, and your interpretations were very well written and well conceived. I like how your responses were organized and your thoughts were evident and clear. Good job!
Alex:
I really liked your last sentence. The words you chose really caught my attention. Nice job.
"To Hughes, the numerous rivers represent a cultural journey as opposed to Mark Twain who used the Mississippi River to journey for freedom in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
I, too sing, sing America by Langston Hughes depicts the way life has changed for African Americans. “I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes…” This, however very simple, illustrates how the slaves were not allowed to eat with everyone. “But I laugh, and eat well, and grow strong…” He laughs, for he knows someday that he will be the one who is at the time and “Nobody’ll dare say to me, ‘Eat in the Kitchen,’ then… I, too, am American.” In this small poem, Langston enlightened the way freedom of everyone was coming and was wanted by the Africans. In Huckleberry Finn, Jim was an African slave of Miss Watson. Jim wanted to be free and was willing to risk his own life for freedom. He knows then if he is free, he won’t be seen as “Miss Watson’s big nigger,” but as Jim; an American.
Furthermore, in another poem by Langston Hughes he portrays the journey that one must take in the direction of discovering yourself.
“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.”
He continues to say that his soul has grown deep like the rivers. He, in his many experiences, has found who he was. He found that his soul has been changed by the journeys that have been taken in the past. That his soul in time has grown deep, as deep as the rivers of the world. Huck and Jim found that to find who they really are they would have to travel down the river. This journey will change who they are and who they will become in the future. Which, in turn, will change how the slaves may be treated; as slaves or as equals.
Hughes, Langston. "I, too, Sing America." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15615.
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15722.
Angela- I like the way you used the iltalics because I still cant get that to work on mine. I also liked the way you thought about the poem on a line to line bases.
Lindsey- Wow... you an Anglega went in the same direction. I liked the way you also brought in how the blacks are equals.
Alex- Yours was right to the point. I like that. What stood out the most, I thought, was how you said that his experiences were based on his African roots and what hepppened in the past that chagned who he was. Thats what I thougth also.
My favorite line in The Negro Speaks of Rivers is "I've known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers". I believe that the rivers are a symbolism of Langston Hughes's heritage. It seems to me that he is talking about his African heritage.
I agree with Angela about the symbolism of the rivers. I think the river in Huckleberry Finn symbolizes a journey, but I also think its symbolizes freedom. It led Jim to freedom after being a slave and it led Huck to freedom from his father.
I really liked I, too, sing America. I like it when he says nobody will dare tell him to eat in the kitchen and they will see how beautiful he is and be ashamed. I believe he is talking about how they'll see how beautiful his soul is and that is what really matters. This shows that Langston Hughes believe that being American did not depend souly upon skin color. It really shows how much he would stand up to support his beliefs.
I Too Sing America, is a poem about freedome. America was not always the way it is today. Today black and white people are equal. In the past, black people were thought to be less than the white. This poem speaks the black view of America. The poem opens with "I am the darker brother." It continues that he was sent to the kitchen when company came. Even though he is being sent away he laughs, eats well and grows strong. This was what America was to a black person. Although he knew he was being treated wrong he knew the reality and had to rise above and stay strong, "Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed."
In The Negro speaks of Rivers, Langston Hughes refers to the rivers as a way of life. Langston talks about his adventures in the rivers and how the rivers are a part of life and of our world. Langston has a connection to the rivers and has made them part of who he is.
These location mentioned are spread out all over the world. Langston has traveled to many places and is very diverse. Rivers also run all over the world. A river is not just on strainght line accross a bank. No river is exactly the same, as well as people. Because Langston has traveled all over the world he has seen the diversity between rivers and in people. No river or person is exactly the same.
Lindsey: I think you did a great job on this weeks post. You were so creative and had different views of what the meanings of the poems were.
Angela: You have so many original ideas and it makes your posts interesting to read. I like how you said the river reflected Langstons journey. Good Job!
In I, Too , Sing America by Langston Hughes there is a unique sense throughout the entire poem. From the very first line you know there is something different about this poem because from "I, too, sing America." we are lead to believe there is something different in the perspective it is written. While yes we know it is written from a black mans perspective in a highly racist (not that racism isnt highly prominent today) time. Any one who would just happen to come upon this would realise or at least wonder about the part "I, Too". After you finish that first line it then becomes highly clear of the time and the person who is writing this (or at least the kind of person it is about). Racism was obviously common in these times as the poet tells of how he is sent into another room when company arrives. He also talks of how the next day he will sit at the table when company comes and none will ask him to sit elsewhere. He is speaking of a time when racism will not exist to that same extent.
In The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes nearly every line has a reference to some sort of river. Many of the lines also reference early times for humanity and the slavery of those times. In the line about the pyramids it is an obvious referance to how slaves were used to create the great pyramids. He also talks of Abe Lincoln who helped to end slavery. I completely agree with what angela and others have said about a journey and comparing old to new times and the changes that have taken place in those times.
Works Cited:
Hughes, Langston. "I, too, Sing America." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15615.
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15722.
Comments:
Angela,
First of all i want to comment on how in depth you went you didnt just skin the top of the poems you actually dove in (no pun intended in the case of the river poem) but the information you came up with was orignal and genuine.
Lindsey,
I really liked your and how you really got to talking about the issue of slavery and racism because it is and was a very important factor in those times and still is. And over the past couple ive noticed most your information is just as with angelas very much dug for and thought upon.
I, Too, Sing America by the esteemed African American poet Langston Hughes is about the repression of black people in the time period in which he lived. The writing suggests that African American people at the time were treated differently, as we know they were, and made to settle into a lower class and a more degrading way of living underneath the supremacy of white people.
Hughes says he is a part of the United States as well, and that the repression of black people is short-lived and someday he will be treated as equally as a white person and he will not be asked to do things differently, because no one would dare. Hughes writes, "Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed--", and he foretells the shame of white people in the future. He says, in the future, I will be able to sit at the same table as company and nobody will dare to tell me any differently.
The second poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, talks about the deep past experiences of African American people as a whole. In a speech by Cornel West at Princeton, he explains that black people have become so accepting of their pasts through the "Blues Mentality". The Blues Mentality says that African American people are able to accept their tragic pasts because they have come to terms with social and other forms of death. "I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep" suggests that earlier on, black people were more accepted than they were in the racist age that Hughes lived in.
A line from The Negro Speaks of Rivers states, "My soul has grown deep like the rivers". This line tells the reader that through all of the terrorism directed towards people of that race at the time, the people as a whole have grown by using the Blues Mentality suggested earlier. The Negro Speaks of Rivers is a poem all about coming to terms with the racism that has happened and still happens, and realizing that it is wrong, but also understanding that violence in exchange for desecration is no way to deal with it.
Hughes, Langston. "I, Too, Sing America".
Poets.org. 2007. 17 Aug 2007
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15615.
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers".
Poets.org. 2007. 17 Aug 2007
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15722.
West, Cornel. "The Gifts of Black Folk in the Age of Terrorism." 21 Dec 2006. "Princeston University Podcasts." 17 Aug 2007
http://odeo.com/audio/2836233/view.
Kezer - Your post was very well backed-up with great details from Hughes' poems. Everything that needed to be cited was. I also liked how you opened the floor to a lot more than what most people thought the poem was confined to, good job.
Autumn - Great job expanding on the topic with work from Abe Lincoln. You really delved into the subject at hand and made it more than just a homework assignment [although I know you like to think you don't do that :)] I also liked your step-by-step analysis. Great job overall, the whole thing was impressive.
Kaylee:
You went a different way with your post. Good job!
Anna,
I agree with your statements. You used great quotes to back up your thoughts and you were creative while writing your response. Great job.
I Too Sing America
In "I Too Sing America," Langston Hughes uses an African American's words to symbolize how racism was apparent. What I liked about the poem, was how the man seemed strong, and knew that what society thought shouldn't affect how he feels about himself. He's humble about the hatred, and this especially shows within the first stanza. American society wanted this African American to feel ashamed of the color of his skin. Instead, he chose to laugh at their expense, and this was what I loved about the poem. The poem made a difference just in the way that the character was positive. With this, it showed that prejudice was wrong, and even though it was hurtful, it wasn't going to bring anyone down.
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Langston Hughes uses this poem to symbolize the journey of an African American slave. I liked how the poem consisted of struggle, and also showed moments of triumph. With reading the poem, you could see how the rivers became a part of this particular person. The rivers gave him peace and satisfaction, even though they were also a place of struggle.
-- What I especially liked about these poems, is that they both showed how each person was proud. To me, this is inspiring. Both African Americans were treated as unequals. Although this was true, both were very strong and proud. I liked how Langston Hughes portrayed this with both characters. Hughes also had the confidence to write his poetry in a world of only Caucasian writers. I love when people take a chance, share their beliefs and experiences, and things work well for them.
Sources Cited-
Hughes, Langston. "I, too, Sing America." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15615.
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15722.
Kaylee-
I really liked your response. You incorporated some great research, and I liked how you talked about the "Blues Mentality." It was informative, and made your blog more interesting. Good Job =)
Angela-
Your post was my favorite. I agree with what Katelyn said about it being inspirational. Your opinions are always meaningful and well-thought and I like reading your posts.
In Langston Hughes' first poem I read, I, Too, Am America, I found that he was trying to tell that he isn't just a "black man" he's a citizen of our country, deserving equal treatment as the White men. When company came he was forced to eat in the kitchen, so he wasn't seen. But he predicted that "tomorrow" meaning soon enough, he nor his folk would have to eat in the other room when white company came. They would be welcomed, for they were part of America and Americans too.
The Negro speaks of Rivers is his thoughts about what the river meant to the Negro people, and how it tells the story of their hardships, and journey to freedom. The river flows freely, and was a great resource for his people, and it gave them hope, for a better tomorrow. The deep depths of the river, show that there is much to learn about life, and the river helps with the understanding that we're never done learning, there is much more to discover.
In Huck Finn, the river helped him get where he needed to go, and though Langston Hughes may not use the river for transportation, it helps him get where he needs to go in a different more spiritual and learning way. It proves to him that there is much more to life.
Comments:
Angela: I really enjoyed your response, and how you used his quotes from the poem directly to make your point.
Lindsey: I was impressed with how in depth you went with your responses, especially with there being not a whole lot of poem to talk about. Nice work.
Autumn: I really liked how you broke down the poem, and analyzed it in a way to explain what you thought each sentence was representing. Thats a new look on things, very interesting.
Sources:
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15722.
Hughes, Langston. "I, too, Sing America." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15615.
In I, too, sing America Langston Hughes is talking about the oppression he and all the other African Americans of the time were under. When Langston says "But I laugh, and eat well, and grow strong" he is saying that he laughs and grows stronger because he knows he will not have to endure this treatment forever.
Langston also says that tomorrow he will sit at the table and nobody will "dare" to tell him to move. This shows that Langston knows that a change is coming and the "darker brother" will be equal.
Finally when Langston "Besides, they'll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed" This shows that Langston knows eventually the people who treated him badly will feel ashamed at what they did.
In "I, too, Sing America", Hughes describes how African American's were treated. He says "but I laugh, eat well, and grow strong" to show that he won't let it bring him down, and that the people who try to oppress him will not be able to shake his view of himself and his people. He also talks about the future, saying "Nobody'll dare say to me, Eat in the kitchen." He knows that one day things will be different and no one will be able to tell him what to do. He knows people will see that he is part of America, even though white people tried hard to make it so that he wasn't. No one can tel you that you are not part of America if America is in your heart.
In "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", I believe that the rivers are a symbol of a person's soul and culture and everything they are made of. A river is deep a long and he is saying his soul is deep like the river. He is also comparing his life experiences with a river. Rivers flow for miles; they touch, see, and hear many things. There are also rough spots in rivers, just as there were rough spots in African American history.
Hughes, Langston. "I, too, Sing America." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15615.
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Poets.org. 2007. 13 Aug 2007 http://www.poets.org/viewmedi a.php/prmMID/15722.
Angela, you did an amazing job analyzing these poems, I actually regret reading your response because I was at a loss of words for what I should say about them because you hit it so perfectly.
Hello,
I found a YouTube channel with an emotional interpretation of Langston Hughes' poem, Negro.
https://youtu.be/qVYGXSsG100
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