memories and the past

1. figurative language

1.1. Abstract imagery; "my soul has grown deep like the rivers" You can not see a soul growing deep therefore this would be a line of abstract imagery. This relates to the theme "memories and the past" by explaining how his soul has grown over all of this time and his memories has shaped him as a person.

1.2. Concrete imagery; there are many lines of concrete imagery throughout this poem. Some of those lines are "I bathed in the euphrates when dawns were young.""I built my house near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep" "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 sun." The concrete imagery given in the poem allows us to visualize and see what the author is relating it to. This connects to our theme because imagery is something described that you could envision or see it and memories of the past are able to be seen and looked back on.

1.3. Simile; "My soul has grown deep like the rivers"This line compares his soul to the rivers. The depth of his soul from knowledge and experiences is like the rivers changing and growing over time. This connects to our theme because he has memories in the past and him remembering these things are like a river that has grown deep over time.

1.4. personification; in the line of "older than the flow of human blood in human veins" This line in the poem is personifying how the river is like the blood of the people that died. This is connecting to the theme because the author is remembering the lives of the slaves.

1.5. repetition; the poem shows repetition throughout when it says "I've known rivers"and "My soul has grown deep like the rivers" both of these lines are repeated twice in the poem. By repetition we get a sense of emphasis which the author puts in these lines. This relates to the theme because its creating memories for the author and the reader, by repeating the lines he remembers.

2. Structure

2.1. This poem has no rhyme scheme, and no meter. Having no meter or rhyme scheme allows the author to freely express himself and his memories that he has.

3. Characters

3.1. The characters are the narrator or I, and the reader.  The narrator creates memories through his story and experiences for both himself and the reader of the poem.