"The Negro Speaks of Rivers", by Langston Hughes, was originally published in 1921. Langston Hughes was a prolific poet writing about the plight of the black man. In this poem, Hughes relates to us the migration of the black man, referring to the black man as "Negro" which was typical of the 1920's.

When Langston Hughes talks about the rivers, he is referring to them as if they wee alive. He tells us that the rivers are older than man. Before human blood flowed, rivers flowed. Even the most ancient black man lived alongside the resourceful rivers. Rivers are also connected to the black man through the statement that the soul of the man has grown deep like the river.

Langston Hughes takes us through the migration of the black man by telling us which rivers were in the location where the black man lives. The first humans, "when dawns were young", evolved in the middle east which is the location of the Euphrates River. Hughes then talks about the black man in Africa where they built a life along the Congo River. He refers to the Congo River as lulling me to sleep, which could mean that the black man resided in Africa for a long period of time. Africa, and the Congo River, became his home. The Nile, also a part of Africa, shows the black man involved in constructing ancient pyramids. He then refers to the Mississippi River. With Abe Lincoln's efforts in the south, the slaves are freed. Hughes uses the analogy to show that the Mississippi river was "golden in the sunset and singing", showing the slaves happiness because they were free.

Langston Hughes sees these rivers in a soulful way and views them at times as "ancient and dusky", but also as "golden in the sunset and singing." He uses the rivers as a metaphor to show that the black man is as deep as the rivers.