Life is Fine

By Langston Hughes

I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!


This poems message really stood out to me. I think the author is trying to tell the reader no matter what troubles you may come across in life, your life is still worth living. The narrator is going through many troubles in his life, and is contemplating suicide. He first considers drowning himself, and then considers jumping off a high building. However, he can never bring himself to it. He thinks about his baby, and that makes him realize what he has to live for. This is a really good lesson for people. Many people go through struggles and tough times, but you just have to have a positive outlook about things. You have to focus on the positives of life, like the ones who love you. Your life is worth living, no doubt. At the end of the poem, the narrator says "Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!" I think the narrator realized all the important things in his life, like his child, and changed his outlook.