Sound and Sense in The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes The text 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 poem is written in free verse and seems, at first glance, very unstructured. Hughes repeats words and lines, but does not use repeated sounds. Hughes' rivers are very rich in symbolism and are not just simple bodies of water. Finally, some of his word choices towards the end of the poem help convey the poem's message more powerfully. 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 pioneer of so-called "spoken poetry", as opposed to more structured forms. Hughes was inspired by the traditions of black Americans and wanted to make his poems accessible to all and accurately reflect American life. He wrote this poem in words that ordinary people of his time could understand, even if they did not have much education. Since much of Hughes' intended audience was black and not well educated, Hughes wrote a poem that does not require much formal poetic training to understand. However, it is also a very profound poem, which still lends itself to these methods of study. Hughes makes use of repeated words and also repeats lines, but does not use alliteration, assonance or consonance. The lack of repetition of sound helps keep the poem from having a "singing" tone, which is unnecessary in a poem with a "serious" message like this. The poem, however, takes on a structure reminiscent of many black spirituals, a form with which...... middle of paper ......Works CitedAmerican Heritage Dictionary of The English Language, The. Third edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. “It's a Hughes Thang.” (May 18, 1998). "Student Commentaries - Langston Hughes." (May 18, 1998). The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes I have known rivers: I have known rivers as old as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul grew as deep as the rivers. in the Euphrates when the dawn was young. I built my hut near the Congo and it put me to sleep. I looked at the Nile and raised the pyramids above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went to New Orleans, and I saw his muddy bosom turn all golden at sunset. I have known rivers: ancient and dark rivers. My soul has grown as deep as the rivers.