Who wrote 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers'?

Who wrote 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers'?

• A. Maya Angelou
• B. James Weldon Johnson
• C. Langston Hughes
• D. Claude McKay

Answer: (C)

Langston Hughes is the writer of this poem, and its voice and themes align with his early body of work. The piece links the speaker’s present identity to a long, global history by naming rivers from different parts of the world—the Euphrates, the Nile, the Congo, the Amazon, and the Mississippi—showing a continuous, enduring Black heritage. This focus on memory, lineage, and dignity through vivid, musical imagery is a hallmark of Hughes, especially prominent at the start of the Harlem Renaissance when Black poets were asserting cultural depth and resilience. The other writers listed are important figures with their own notable works, but they did not author this particular poem.