Sound and Sense in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers Essay

Sound and Sense in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers The schoolbook of the metrical composition can be found at the bottom of this page. In Langston Hughes numbers The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Hughes makes use of some interesting poetic techniques. This metrical composition is written in free verse, and seems, at first glance, to be precise unstructured. Hughes repeats words and lines, but does non make use of tell sounds. Hughes rivers argon really rich in symbolism, and argon not just dim-witted bodies of water. Finally, some of his word choices near the end of the verse help to earn the depicted object of the poem across more strongly. These poetic techniques contribute greatly to the quality of the poem. In this poem, Hughes chooses to use free verse. This is typical of Hughes, who was a broach of so-called spoken-word poetry, as opposed to more structured forms. Hughes was inspired by b insufficiency American traditions, and wanted to make his poems access ible to everyone, and accurately devise American life. He wrote this poem in words that common muckle of his time could understand, even if they did not have a great education. Since untold of Hughes intended audience was b deficiency and not well educated, Hughes wrote a poem that does not require oft formal poetic training to understand. However, it is excessively a very deep poem, one that still lends itself to these methods of study. Hughes makes use of restate words and even repeats lines, but does not use alliteration, assonance, or consonance. The lack of sound repetition helps to stop the poem from having a singsong tone, which is not needed in a poem with a serious inwardness such as this. The poem, though, takes on a structure that is reminiscent of numerous black spirituals, a form with whic... ... Works Cited American Heritage vocabulary of The English Language, The. Third Edition. Boston Houghton Mifflin, 1992. Its A Hughes Thang. (18 whitethorn 1998). Studen t Commentaries - Langston Hughes. (18 whitethorn 1998). The Negro Speaks of Rivers By Langston Hughes Ive known rivers Ive known rivers ancient as the mankind and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My nous has grown deep like the rivers. I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I strengthened 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 Ive seen its nebulous bosom turn all golden in the sunset. Ive known rivers Ancient, shadowy rivers. My spirit has grown deep like the rivers. Sound and Sense in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers EssaySound and Sense in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers The textual matter of the poem can be found at the bottom of this page. In Langston Hughes poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Hughes makes use of some interesting poetic techniques. This poe m is written in free verse, and seems, at first glance, to be very unstructured. Hughes repeats words and lines, but does not make use of repeated sounds. Hughes rivers are very rich in symbolism, and are not just naive bodies of water. Finally, some of his word choices near the end of the poem help to gain the message of the poem across more strongly. These poetic techniques contribute greatly to the quality of the poem. In this poem, Hughes chooses to use free verse. This is typical of Hughes, who was a start of so-called spoken-word poetry, as opposed to more structured forms. Hughes was inspired by black American traditions, and wanted to make his poems accessible to everyone, and accurately think over American life. He wrote this poem in words that common peck of his time could understand, even if they did not have a great education. Since much of Hughes intended audience was black and not well educated, Hughes wrote a poem that does not require much formal poetic trainin g to understand. However, it is overly a very deep poem, one that still lends itself to these methods of study. Hughes makes use of repeated words and even repeats lines, but does not use alliteration, assonance, or consonance. The lack of sound repetition helps to stop the poem from having a singsong tone, which is not needed in a poem with a serious message such as this. The poem, though, takes on a structure that is reminiscent of umteen black spirituals, a form with whic... ... Works Cited American Heritage vocabulary of The English Language, The. Third Edition. Boston Houghton Mifflin, 1992. Its A Hughes Thang. (18 May 1998). Student Commentaries - Langston Hughes. (18 May 1998). The Negro Speaks of Rivers By Langston Hughes Ive known rivers Ive known rivers ancient as the field and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers. I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I build 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 Ive seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset. Ive known rivers Ancient, dismal rivers. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.