"The Negro Speaks of Rivers" is a beautiful poem which is
almost tailor-made for any writing in an historical approach. The poem itself
chronicles, in poetic form of course, the history of the Negro. Note the use of rivers
through time and place to indicate the passage of time and the changes which have
happened to this group of people over the centuries. Note the course of ancient Negro
history as demonstrated through the naming of the rivers in these
lines:
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.
In more modern
times, the Negro journey came to America, as in these
lines:
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.
If I were writing
from an historical perspective, I'd take each of the rivers mentioned in these lines and
briefly discuss the significance of each. The mention of the Mississippiand Abe Lincoln
is a clear reference to the Negroes' emancipation. A brief discussion of each of those
four moments (Euphrates, Congo, Nile, and Mississippi) would easily get you your 400-500
words. This is a wonderful poem. Happy writing!
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