Monday, March 29, 2010
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
I chose to critique “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes. I was moved by this poem because it tells of adventure and the timeless, ageless, mystery of the rivers in our world. It is a very interesting poem right from the start. One is brought to wonder how a simple man can know rivers older than time or older than the flow of human blood. This is to say he's known rivers before man was ever considered. He moves on to say that his “soul has grown deep like the rivers” and then recalls adventures he has had on a few of our world's major rivers and their impact on him. The speaker talks of having been lulled to sleep by the Nile and raising the pyramids over the Nile. These things are almost serene to imagine because of the remarkable experience it would provide to anyone who witnessed such an event. The speaker describes the next lines in much the same way and I was able to connect with him in the adventurous lifestyle he lived and how being on and near these rivers set him apart from the rest of civilization. I very much enjoyed this poem and look forward to reading more in the coming weeks.
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Mr. Ellis gives us a good summary and explanation of what he thinks about this poem. It really makes us wonder and feel interested in knowing more. I totally agree with him on how impressive it is that a simple man can know so much about the rivers and even more about rivers that are older than him. The poem is a real good source of enrichment and knowledge. The story makes you imagine and think that you could be there in every description and adventure he says which is really impressive. It just makes your imagination flow and feel part of the actual story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ms. Joselyn and Mr. Ellis on how the speaker is a simple man but yet knows the rivers before the river knew man. Also, I agree with Ms. Joselyn comment on how the author uses great word choice to enhance his paper and make the reader feel like he is there with the speaker. He does this by describing the things he has done like be lulled to sleep with the Nile river. Also how the speaker said that he had step up his hut on the Congo. The author using these description help the reader visual the work and what the speaker is talking about.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing that some one can say how they relate to the rivers older than humans, this is a link that all of us have if we look hard enough. All of us have different backgrounds and ancestors, but those ancestors are what links us to the past and to who we are. The imagism in this poem is very strong, Hugh's uses a variety of universal monuments and discusses how they effect him and this brings the reader into the poem. Very good post by Mr. Ellis by looking into the poem.
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