1. Figuritive Language
1.1. Similes
1.1.1. "My soul has grown deep like the rivers" expresses that the narrator has experienced hardships. Like the rain, which weathers the rivers and make them deeper, these hardships weather the narrator and his community and strengthen them.
1.2. Imagery
1.2.1. The entire third stanza, which is bathed in imagery, is composed of multiple memories. These memories provide an account of the characters'/narrators' experiences and memories. "I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young", "I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I've seen it's muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset."
1.3. Metaphors
1.3.1. The figurative language brings old memories to life in the present. "I've known rivers" is a good example of having old memories/experience, where the "rivers" are their experiences or hardships.
2. Characters
2.1. One character (narrator)
2.1.1. The presence of only one character allows this person to fully voice their thoughts without other input or perspective. This narrator is also a representative for their community.
3. Structure
3.1. Repitition
3.1.1. The repetition of "I've known rivers", and " My soul has grown deep like the rivers" throughout the poem tells us as the reader that the author is trying to convey a message that he or his community has had experience and is strongly rooted.
3.2. This poem has no structure.
3.2.1. The lack of structure and rhyme scheme (free verse) allows the narrator to express himself without being bound to rhyming words or composition of the poem.