THE ROARING 20S 1920 1929
ART AND CULTURE OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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By connecting the speaker to historical rivers
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By describing how rivers have changed over time
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By showing why the rivers can cause people to dream
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By explaining why the speaker has abandoned the rivers
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Detailed explanation-1: -“How does the repetition in the first stanza help develop meaning in the poem?” (By repeating “I” to begin the lines, the speaker connects himself to the rivers and to human history.)
Detailed explanation-2: -This structural repetition frees the audience to concentrate on the meaning of the poem, and also reinforces how these rivers and what they represent have been so important in the history of the African-American people. It also gives a regular rhythm to this part of the poem.
Detailed explanation-3: -The repetition of “I’ve known rivers” and “My soul has grown deep as rivers, ” makes us feel like someone is singing to us (the Mississippi?) or rocking us to sleep. It comes as no surprise to know that, in the tradition of Blues music, the first line is repeated twice. We feel completely and utterly moved.
Detailed explanation-4: -“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” is a free verse poem, one that will have rhythm and may have rhyme but not a recurring rhythm pattern or rhyme scheme. Note the varying lengths of the lines on the page, usually a marker for a free verse poem.