I believe Langston Hughes’ poem, ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’,  is the best at clearly conveying the message he was trying to show about his African American ancestors.  Through the use of metaphors, allusions, similes, and personification, Hughes was really able to show the sense of pride he has for his race and all of their accomplishments. The mood of the poem is very empowering, sullen, and nostalgic, which the readers can quickly pick up on. Though the poem is short, the audience gets a very clear understanding of the message because Hughes uses many allusions to historical places, events, and people, that are relevant in the history of African American people.  For example, in the line ‘I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it’, he was talking about his ancestors that built such beautiful monuments which are known today as one of the seven wonders of the world. People today have so much respect for these pyramids, and so Hughes was showcasing the fact that it was an accomplishment of his people.  The line, ‘I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans…’ Is an allusion to the freeing of the African American slaves.  Hughes mentioned this in the poem because this was a huge event in the history of slavery in America, and even though his ancestors have suffered and went through those terrible times, change was finally issued and they were able to abolish slavery.

With these examples, the readers can see the sense of pride Hughes was trying to show for African American people. The poem is very powerful and gets the message across.