Resource: The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Media Type:
QuickTime Video
Length: 0m 58s
Size: 2.5 MB
This segment from A Walk Through Harlem presents the poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” written by Langston Hughes in 1922 when he was eighteen years old. Born in Joplin, Missouri, Hughes traveled to New York City in the 1920s to become a part of an exciting arts and culture movement called the Harlem Renaissance. He later became known as the "poet laureate of Harlem." Hughes was one of the first African American writers who wrote stories about the authentic experiences of his people reflecting their pain, suffering, humor, creativity, and joy. He often was inspired by music and incorporated it into his poetry. Hughes made substantial artistic contributions to the Harlem Renaissance and holds an important place in American literature.
Teachers' Domain, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, published October 10, 2008, retrieved on ,
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/vtl07.la.ws.style.rivers/
- Frame and Focus
- Follow Up
- Connections
- Standards
Print Frame and FocusThe following suggestions are best suited for middle school students using this video in an English language arts or social studies lesson. Be sure to modify the questions to meet your students' instructional needs.
Frame (ELA) What is imagery? How would you determine the theme of a poem?
Focus (ELA) Listen to the reading of “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” As you listen, think about the imagery. Do the descriptions in the poem translate into meaning for you? What do you think is the theme?
Frame (SS) What do you know about the period of time in which Langston Hughes began writing? Why is Langston Hughes considered an important American poet?
Focus (SS) Describe the attitude of the speaker in the poem. Do you think Langston Hughes is the speaker? How is the attitude of the speaker indicative of the period in which the poem was written?
We assign reference terms to each statement within a standards document and to each media resource, and correlations are based upon matches of these terms for a given grade band. If a particular standards document of interest to you is not displayed yet, it most likely has not yet been processed by ASN or by Teachers' Domain.
Loading StandardsPlease answer this survey question:
Thank you!
Your response has been received. Thanks for helping improve Teachers' Domain!
Related Resources:
What was the Harlem Renaissance?
(QuickTime Video)
See Also:
K-12 Subject:
Descriptive Language
Source: A Walk Through Harlem
Resource Produced by:
Collection Developed by:
Collection Funded by:
Funding for the VITAL/Ready to Teach collection was secured through the United States Department of Education under the Ready to Teach Program.