Question

Who is the speaker in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers?"
A. A contemporary (present day) American who longs for the past.
B. A contemporary (present day) African American who has visited many rivers.
C. Someone who stands as an archetypal (representative) role for all African Americans
D. Someone who is nostalgic for a youth spent traveling along rivers of the world.

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Someone who stands as an archetypal (representative) role for all African Americans

Explanation:

While it's possible to read the speaker of “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” as Langston Hughes himself, this “narrator” of the poem is also his own character.