What did Langston Hughes learn from his visit to the rivers NU In The Negro Speaks of Rivers Langston Hughes - describes his and all African-American s deep connection with the great rivers of the world By visiting the rivers in his imagination he learns about history struggle and the soul of his own race Human Civilization Langston Hughes learns about the history of human civilization from the great rivers He says that he has known rivers The rivers are as ancient as the world itself The rivers are even older than human civilization I ve known rivers ancient as the world It means that the poet is a part of the history of human civilization The entire black African-American race is a part of the history of human civilization So the poet says that he has bathed in the Euphrates He has built a hut near the Congo to