LANGSTON HUGHES
By: Mark Lawrence
Ashley Johnson
English 5
Set 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Biography
 Background Information
 Thank you ma’am video
 Story Map
 Plot Elements
 Poem
 Poem Analysis
 Compare & Contrast
 Evaluation
 Works cited
BIOGRAPHY
 Biography video
 Wrote his first short stories, poetry, and dramatic plays in
high school.
 An important writer and thinker of the Harlem Renaissance.
 Creative genius was influenced by his life in NYC’s Harlem.
 Literary works helped shape American literature and politics
 Promoted equality, condemned racism and injustice,
 Celebrated African American culture, humor, and spirituality
throughout his works.
STORY MAP: THANK YOU MA’AM
The boy fell down,
the women kicked
him and shook him.
She would not let
him go.
A boy named Roger ran
up behind her and tried
to snatch her purse,
Mrs. Luella is walking
alone at night on a
sidewalk.
Inciting Incident
Climax
Dragged the boy home and
cleaned him up, also feed him
something. Gives him money
to buy some food and shoes.
Roger leaves the
apartment saying
“Thank you Ma’am” for
all she did for him.
Resolution
PLOT ELEMENTS
 Setting
 Eleven o’clock at night in the city
 Mood
 Angry & relaxing
 Conflict
 Character vs. Character
Mrs. Luella vs. Roger
PLOT ELEMENTS
 Characters
 Roger A skinny teenage boy
 Protagonist
 Dynamic character
 Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones An old grumpy woman
 Antagonist
THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS
I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow
of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I
I
I
I
bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down
to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden
in the sunset.
I’ve known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
POEM SYMBOLISM
 Metaphors
 “Rivers”
 Extended metaphor for the souls of black communities
 “Muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset”
 Mud: skin color of the slaves
 Gold: the abolishment of slavery
 “Ancient, dusky rivers”
 Skin color
 Shadows or darkness of the speakers past.
POEM ANALYSIS
 Personification
 The Congo River
 It lulled him to sleep
 The Mississippi River
 He said he heard the rivers sing
 Had a muddy bosom
 Repetition
 I bathed…I built…I looked…I heard
 I’ve known rivers…I’ve known rivers
POEM SYMBOLISM
 Simile
 “Rivers ancient as the world”
 Compares age of river to the age of the earth.
 “My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”
 Compares depth of soul to that of the rivers.
 Hyperbole
 “Raised the pyramids above it.”
 Example of exaggeration, he could not have done this.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
The Negro Speaks of
Rivers
 Similarities
 His soul grew deep which
symbolizes wisdom.
 “I’ve seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in
the sunset.”
Thank You Ma’am
 Similarities
 She is well of age, and
gave the boy some wise
advice.
 When Mrs. Luella found
Roger he was unclean, but
she gave him clothes and
cleaned him up.
The Negro Speaks of
Rivers
 Differences
 The poem is about slavery.
 The poem has a lot of
symbolism in it.
 They people had no
freedom at the time.
Thank You Ma’am
 Differences
 The story is about a life
lesson which is don’t steal
what isn't yours.
 They had freedom
EVALUATIONS
The Negro Speaks of
Rivers
Thank You Ma’am
 The poem was good and it
 The story was good and you
explains how slaves felt
can learn lessons from the
back then. It also gives
details about the futures of
black slaves. Overall it was
story. It teaches you to
respect your elders and to
listen to the advice they give
because it could be
a good poem if you are into
something that helps you
symbolism.
down the road.
THE END