Langston Hughes: Poems
comment on the title of the poem
from the poem THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS
from the poem THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS
The very word "Negro" makes us think back to a time, in the early 20th century, when"negro" was the term of self-identification in America. This self-identity allowed "Negros" to claim their heritage and celebrate their uniqueness. The slavery years were not a distant memory but still an open wound that needed to heal. THe title of the poem tells us that this poem is about the black experience in some way.