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By Michael Guilbert and Jonathan Cox   ||> ====== ======
 * ==Langston Hughes ==

Bio
February1, 1902 - May 22, 1967. Born in Joplin, Missouri, James Langston Hughes was a member of an abolitionist family. Hughes grew up on an avenue in Topeka, Kansas, but attended Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio. He then began writing poetry in eighth grade, and was selected as the class poet.Sadly, his parent's marriage was very unhappy and they divorced sometime between the years of 1907-1914. In 1921, Hughes enrolled at Columbia University, as one of his most famous poems was published, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." The next year, he dropped out of his first year at Columbia University after his father suffered a stroke.In 1926, Hughes attended Lincoln University and published another great poem "The Weary Blues." This poem won first prize in the poetry section of the 1926 Opportunity Magazine literary contest. After that award- winning poem, Langston Hughes's career took off. Hughes started publishing many other poems like "As I Grew Older" and "Children's Rhymes," which talks about how whites and blacks should be equal and how everybody should obtain liberty and justice. In 1942, the WWII era, Hughes started writing a column for the "Chicago Defender", an African American newspaper. He used fictional characters in his columns to express justice and very serious racial issues. During Hughes's career, money was a major problem for him, but when he wrote the lyrics for a Broadway show called "Street Scene." He was able to by a house in Harlem, New York, his childhood dream. In Hughes's older years, he was named the "Poet Laureate of The Negro Race," a title he himself was truly proud of. Langston Hughes meant more to his race than any other poet at the time,not only because he wrote outstanding poems, but at the same time, he fought for liberty and justice for everybody. Then, Langston Hughes died on May 22, 1967 after having abdominal surgery. His funeral was a huge turnout, with all blues and jazz music. The jazz pianist Randy Weston was asked to play at Hughes's funeral. It was a very sad time, but the jazz was very great and well-played, but then again, Langston Hughes only deserved the best. Langston Hughes, the great American poet that influenced so many people, and spread liberty and justice. ||

Other Poems
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 * * [|As I Grew Older]
 * [|Children's Rhymes]
 * [|Cross]
 * [|Dinner Guest: Me]
 * [|Justice]

By Langston Hughes
I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world 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 built 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 I've seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset. I've known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers. My soul has grown deep like the rivers. 1922



 Explication

 * Explication of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"

This poem describes the importance of rivers and how "deep" they are. Langston Hughes compares his soul with rivers throughout this poem. In the second line it says "My soul has grown deep like the rivers" comparing his soul to the rivers. The other thing Hughes talks about in this poem is how rivers help man's survival and necessities.

"I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins." This line tells the reader how old it is compared to the world and humans. "I bathed in the Euphrates when dawn was young," gives an example of one use it served the author. also it helped him by how the Congo "lulled" him to sleep.

Hughes uses a lot of similes in this poem. He repeats how his "soul has grown deep like the rivers" which is the main like of this poem. Then Hughes uses personification to describe the traits of the rivers. The Congo lulls him to sleep and the Mississippi sang when "Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans." These both tell how the rivers help him.

The theme of this poem is how the author's "soul has grown deep like the rivers." This is comparing the two in how they are needed. Rivers are needed to help support life and the world would be much worse without them while the soul supports our bodies and we would be much worse without them.

This poem is a great work of art that at first can seem confusing but later is understood. The meaning is not really hidden but still difficult to find. This poem should be a role model for others.

At first I thought it wasn't very good because there was no rhythm or rhyme but later changed my mind. I discovered that rhythm and rhyme are not needed for poems and it can sometimes on add extra words to it. I also liked the use of personification, it brought out the meaning. This poem has many things to be liked about it.

This poem should be remembered long after time has forgotten the author. It has a deep meaning just like the authors soul. An overall great poem. ** 

2. Low, Denise. "Langston Hughes Biography." 2004. Kansas Heritage Group. 9 Dec 2008 .
3. Leach, F., Laurie. __Langston Hughes__. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2004.

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