| The Negro Speaks of Rivers | |
|---|---|
| by Langston Hughes | |
| First published in | The Crisis |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Rivers |
| Publication date | June 1921 |
"The Negro Speaks of Rivers" is a poem by American writer Langston Hughes. Hughes wrote the poem when he was 17 years old and was crossing the Mississippi River on the way to visit his father in Mexico. The poem was first published the following year in The Crisis magazine, in June 1921, starting Hughes's literary career. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" uses rivers as a metaphor for Hughes's life and the broader African-American experience. It has been reprinted often and is considered one of Hughes's most famous and signature works.