Answer:
The primary use of symbolism in this poem is the symbolism of the rivers. The speaker, who represents African Americans, connects his history, and thus the history of African Americans, to the eponymous rivers. This history, which the speaker also equates with the African American "soul," is "deep" and "ancient," like the rivers. Different rivers referenced in the poem have different, specific symbolic meanings. The Euphrates, for example, was a river running near to Mesopotamia, an area often considered to be the birthplace of civilization.
Explanation:
long-term goal: An objective that you want to achieve with many steps
short-term goal: an objective that you can achieve in a short amount of time with little steps
