I really enjoyed the poetry we had to read for this week. But, I was especially drawn to the poetry of Langston Hughes. I’ve had to read many of his poems throughout my academic career but, this time the reading took me on a journey. I read ALL of his poems that appear in the book and really loved The Negro Speaks of Rivers. It not only reminded me of the African experience in America but of Africa and the spirit of that continent. “I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins” (Hughes 974). I thought his imagery was incredible as that line shows. It indeed conjures up the image of humanity that has past. I also think the poem explores the idea of human growth and change and understanding. “My soul has grown deep like the rivers” (Hughes 974). This poem touched me deeply as I feel I am going through a transformative period and where I am deciding what steps to take to move forward. I feel the speaker in the poem really achieved this feeling of deep understanding, I feel the speaker has lived and experienced. “I’ve known rivers: ancient, dusky rivers” (Hughes). This makes me want to read more Langston Hughes poetry—it’s brilliant!
Here is the absolutely wonderful Audra McDonald singing another one of Hughes's poems, Dream Variations. The clip is quite old, so hopefully the sound will hold up...Enjoy!
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