I Speak of Poetry

1) When Langston Hughes wrote the masterpiece ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers, he was sure to pick rivers that would make a desired impact on his readers. His first line states that these rivers are ‘older than the flow of human blood in human veins’, which is true in both respects. These rivers were here long before humans were, and when we finally did arrive, provided the lifelines for civilization as a whole. These specific rivers, however, had a very significant meaning for African Americans in particular, from the Nile River that cradled one of the most famous and advanced African civilizations (the Egyptians), to the muddy Mississippi, which saw their burdens under slavery in the new world.

2) Wow, this is a lot of questions! Alright, when the speaker says that he is the ‘darker brother’, he simply means to point out the fact that he is an African American, but still very much a part of the human family. He eats in the kitchen because he is considered a second class citizen during this time, inferior to his ‘lighter brothers’ and therefore meant to be concealed from the rest. He says ‘he’ll eat at the table tomorrow’ because he believes that in due time (not necessarily tomorrow in the literal sense), his oppressors will realize that he is indeed a person, and deserves to be treated as no less. The title makes the point that ‘negros’ are, too, Americans, and have earned the right of the nation’s respect.

3) The Harlem Renaissance was meant to glorify and celebrate all types of African Americans, giving them all an uplifting voice when there was previously none. This poem, Mulatto, doesn’t seem to do that, as it’s numerous racial slurs and insults to the mixed and black race seem to have the exact opposite effect. Black power advocates like W.E.B. Du Bois was in no means unjustified in objecting to this poem.

5) In his poem, ‘Note on Commercial Theater‘, Hughes objects to black culture being absorbed by whites during the Harlem Renaissance and the seemingly dependant lifestyles of blacks on whites. During the Harlem Renaissance, most African American writers had to get published through white publishing houses, and they gained the largest audiences while performing music in Caucasian clubs. He felt that blacks had to be dependant on themselves to truly succeed. This is still relevant today, especially in terms of music. Hip Hop and R&B have long been the brainchild for blacks, yet it has been absorbed into the mainstream white community, where they are the biggest consumers of it.

6) Because he feels that although we still have African roots and the blood of Africa running actively through our veins, we need to identify as Americans first and foremost. Poems like ‘I, too’ only solidify this belief that we are now a part of this country, and it is permanently imbedded into our collective identities.
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1) harlot