1. By: Mark Lawrence Ashley Johnson English 5 Set 6
Langston Hughes
By: Mark Lawrence
Ashley Johnson
English 5
Set 6

2. Table of Contents Biography Background Information
Thank you ma’am video
Story Map
Plot Elements
Poem
Poem Analysis
Compare & Contrast
Evaluation
Works cited

3. 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.

4. Story Map: Thank You Ma’am
The boy fell down, the women kicked him and shook him. She would not let him go.
Climax
Dragged the boy home and cleaned him up, also feed him something. Gives him money to buy some food and shoes.
A boy named Roger ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse,
Rising action
Falling action
Roger leaves the apartment saying “Thank you Ma’am” for all she did for him.
Mrs. Luella is walking alone at night on a sidewalk.
Inciting Incident
Resolution

5. Plot Elements Setting Eleven o’clock at night in the city Mood
Angry & relaxing
Conflict
Character vs. Character Mrs. Luella vs. Roger

6. Plot elements Characters Roger- Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones-
A skinny teenage boy
Protagonist
Dynamic character
Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones-
An old grumpy woman
Antagonist

7. 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 bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I 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.
Ancient, dusky rivers.

8. 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.

9. Poem ANALYSIS Personification Repetition 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

10. Poem symbolism Simile Hyperbole “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.

11. The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Compare and contrast
Thank You Ma’am
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.”
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.

12. The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Thank You Ma’am
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.
Differences
The story is about a life lesson which is don’t steal what isn't yours.
They had freedom

13. The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Evaluations
Thank You Ma’am
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
The poem was good and it explains how slaves felt back then. It also gives details about the futures of black slaves. Overall it was a good poem if you are into symbolism.
The story was good and you can learn lessons from the story. It teaches you to respect your elders and to listen to the advice they give because it could be something that helps you down the road.

14. The End