The Negro Speaks Of Rivers Theme

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The poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes has the theme of the soul. It is the main theme that gives rise to the ultimate true theme of the poem. The text of the poem itself implies strong imagery related to veins, rivers, and it makes you feel as if these themes are ancient throughout the poem. Also, through Langston Hughes use of words and how they create images, he is able to create two meanings for the theme of soul. On one hand it is referred to the deep roots like trees have, giving soul a physical form, and as well as a soul meaning it in the historical sense. Through these detailed images, the reader can begin to understand the true depth of the poem and it is clear that it addresses themes that are much larger than what they are at face value rivers or human veins, they are referring to the whole of African-American heritage and their history as it has flourished along rivers, which gave life and the allowed these veins to form firm historical roots.
In the beginning of the poem the narrator states, “I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of / human blood in human veins.”(Hughes, 1020, 2) From this line in the poem, images of the veins and canals that run throughout the human body are visible; as well as similar images that reflect of rivers that wind around the land and are shaped similar to veins. Form our understanding that this poem is about more than blood or water; it is about roots and circuits that reflect to heritage, soul. Like rivers, roots run deep and twist irregularly through the medium in which they are planted and throughout time grow deeper and spread out through the ground. The speaker talks of the ancient rivers, and they are like the blood in veins or the roots u...

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...tion when he states, “I've known” rivers he is making a reference to knowledge. Trees have been connected to knowledge from as early on as the Bible, which contains the Tree of Knowledge, and the theme of roots he implies here not only bring to light the roots of history, and the soul, but also of understanding. This knowledge he refers to is similar to a very knowledgeable cultural and the roots, which are fed by the river and maintained by the human veins and bloodlines of the past generations. The speaker ends the poem with the phrase, “My soul has grown deep like the rivers”( Hughes, 1020, 10) and after reading the stanzas that follow after the first time he stated it, the meaning is both more complex and clear since we realize so many issues of culture, history, understanding, and the soul are being discussed. This Is how soul is the main theme of this poem.

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