Water is the main wealth of human civilization and the link with everything that exists in the world. Throughout history, poets and other artists have used water to reveal the secrets of the world, along with the sweat and tears of unsung sailors, Africans and African-Americans. This shows the connection to the dawn of civilization. They are the ones who are not represented. For Africans and African Americans, the lake may be associated with slavery; while for sailors it could be an opportunity to develop. While “The Negro Speaks of the Rivers” connects the spirit and history of the African-American community, and the poem “The Secret of the Sea” expresses the strengths and potential of the sailors' hearts, and in both case they illustrate in their poems that sacrifice can lead to transformation. “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes has many symbolic meanings about the name of African Americans. Throughout the poem, Hughes uses the image of African Americans being crossed as metaphorical statements to indicate to the reader. The poem is written entirely in the first person, which gives an intensely derogatory feeling, even though the speaker symbolizes the black race as a whole. The symbols of the ancient rivers, Euphrates, Congo and Nile, from which the belief of African Americans originated, can be interpreted in many ways. They represent the birth and growth of African culture, as well as some of the most remarkable moments of their past. These rivers can also be interpreted as the rivers of life. These rivers were the cradle of civilization in Africa like the Euphrates, the Congo and the Nile. Here in North America, the Mississippi River could be interpreted as the dawn of civilization in North America. Additionally, these full rivers may be in the middle of paper......a journey that many African American ancestors went through. In “The Secret of the Sea,” the imagery of the sea is compared to a long voyage that sailors will take straight away. However, this poem is not a real journey, but a fantastic journey. The poem is written in the first person, but the problem is its illusion. Water imagery is primarily the image of the sea and the man who wants to be part of it. It begins with a vision that the author is trying to project. “Ah! what pleasant visions haunt me” (line 1), and continues to draw more images into the reader’s mind of his long dream journey. Throughout the poem, he uses this same format to send his message. The poem ends with the interpretation of people searching for the missing piece that connects their lives. And the lost souls are those who died or those who finally found each other.