Lagnston Hughes' Poem Dreams

1286 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: I dream a world by langston hughes analysis

Langston Hughes’ poem “Dreams” discusses the value of having goals and aspirations. The poem is relatively short and uses metaphors to express such utter importance of dreams. In the first stanza Hughes’ implies that a life without dreams is useless and may as well not even exist. The whole of a bird’s existence is to be able to use its’ wings to fly, just like a human’s life only has a purpose to exist if there are dreams to give it meaning. The second stanza contains another metaphor about comparing having no dreams to living an empty life. A field with nothing but snow, has no use in life except to just be there. The authors use of metaphors comparing lifeless nature to a life without dreams is extremely effective in getting the point across. After reading the entirety of the poem, it is clear that Hughes’ purpose is to convey the importance of having dreams and never letting them go, for without dreams, life is not worth living.
Hughes’ comparison of the injured bird, a frozen, empty field, and a life without dreams, demonstrates the connection lifeless nature has to a dreamless life. This struggle with choosing a life with vision and meaning, or choosing one without dreams and passions, may be a battle many people fight everyday. “For if dreams die life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly” (Lines 2-4) reveals the sadness and uselessness that comes from letting dreams wither away. The bird is life and its’ wings are dreams. Without dreams, life is worthless. It has no meaning, just like a bird that is unable to fly. The wings to life are dreams, they help people reach higher than ever thought imaginable. No wings, no dreams, means staying in the same monotonous place day in and day out. It is important to ...

... middle of paper ...

...bs). In his poetry and his life, he proved time and time again that dreams are the road to success and even though they may be hard to accomplish, it will always be worth it in the end.

Works Cited

Hughes, Langston. “Dreams.” New York: Knopf, 1994. Poets.org: From The Academy of American
Poets. Web. 7 April 2014
Rampersad, Arnold. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. New York: Vintage Books, 1994.
Print.
The Poetry Foundation. Chicago: Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute, 2014. Poetryfoundation.org. Web.
7 April 2014
Leach, Laurie. Langston Hughes: A Biography. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004.
Print.
Flick, Amy. Langston Hughes. Ohio: Youngtown State University, 2003. cwcs.ysu.edu: Center for
Working-Class Studies. Web. 8 April 2014
The American Novel. New York: PBS, 2007. Pbs.org: American Masters. Web. 8 April 2014

Show More
Related

  • Hughes, Lucille Clifton, And I, Too, By Langston Hughes

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dream Variations, also by Langston Hughes, is a strong poem that conveys his cultural identity. In this poem, Hughes uses the light and dark hours of the day to represent the cultures of white and black people. Hughes says, “To fling my arms wide in some place of the sun. To whirl and to dance till the white day is done. Then rest at cool evening beneath a tall tree while night comes on gently, Dark like me-That is my dream!” Hughes compares the daytime to the white man 's work day and correlates the night to himself and his race. This poem clearly conveys Hughes cultural

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    This statement is an excellent attention-getter. It tells about a dream that everyone would like without singling out any group of people to blame for the dream not coming true. Then as the poem goes on, he gets more and more specific. Hughes then goes on to dream that everyone “ll know sweet freedoms,/Where greed no longer saps the soul. Here Hughes is wishing to abolish greed.

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes and His Poetry

    1191 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout African American history different individuals have made a significant impact that would forever change things. In the 1900s Harlem became the governing body for the birth of jazz and blues. This also open door for a new era called the Harlem Renaissance. During this time a poet name Langston Hughes was introduced. Langston Hughes created poetry that stood out to people. It had that jazzy vibe mixed with articulate language of choice. He could seize the minds of people with the soulfulness of his writing, and depict the struggles of what was going on with blacks. Some individuals see Langston Hughes as the inspired poet of the Harlem Renaissance time. Mr. Hughes used his body of work to compare and contrast things to create the groundwork for the Harlem Renaissance period.

    Read More

  • Lanston hughes comparison of two poems

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    In today’s modern view, poetry has become more than just paragraphs that rhyme at the end of each sentence. If the reader has an open mind and the ability to read in between the lines, they discover more than they have bargained for. Some poems might have stories of suffering or abuse, while others contain happy times and great joy. Regardless of what the poems contains, all poems display an expression. That very moment when the writer begins his mental journey with that pen and paper is where all feelings are let out. As poetry is continues to be written, the reader begins to see patterns within each poem. On the other hand, poems have nothing at all in common with one another. A good example of this is in two poems by a famous writer by the name of Langston Hughes. A well-known writer that still gets credit today for pomes like “ Theme for English B” and “Let American be American Again.”

    Read More

  • Analysis of Harlem (A Dream Deferred) and A Raisin in the Sun

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Langston Hughes’ poem, the author gives us vivid examples of how dreams get lost in the weariness of everyday life. The author uses words like dry, fester, rot, and stink, to give us a picture of how something that was originally intended for good, could end up in defeat. Throughout the play, I was able to feel how each character seemed to have their dreams that fell apart as the story went on. I believe the central theme of the play has everything to do with the pain each character goes thru after losing control of the plans they had in mind. I will attempt to break down each character’s dream and how they each fell apart as the play went on.

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes and Poetry

    2394 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words.” –Edgar Allan Poe. Poetry is one of the world’s greatest wonders. It is a way to tell a story, raise awareness of a social or political issue, an expression of emotions, an outlet, and last but not least it is an art. Famous poet Langston Hughes uses his poetry as a musical art form to raise awareness of social injustices towards African-Americans during the time of the Harlem Renaissance. Although many poets share similarities with one another, Hughes creatively crafted his poetry in a way that was only unique to him during the 1920’s. He implemented different techniques and styles in his poetry that not only helped him excel during the 1920’s, but has also kept him relative in modern times. Famous poems of his such as a “Dream Deferred,” and “I, Too, Sing America” are still being studied and discussed today. Due to the cultural and historical events occurring during the 1920’s Langston Hughes was able to implement unique writing characteristics such as such as irregular use of form, cultural and historical referenced themes and musical influences such as Jazz and the blues that is demonstrative of his writing style. Langston Hughes use of distinct characteristics such as irregular use of form, cultural and historical referenced themes and musical influences such as Jazz and the blues helped highlight the plights of African-Americans during the Harlem Renaissance Era.

    Read More

  • Sacrifice Of The American Dream

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    With great dreams comes great sacrifices and the ultimate sacrifice is putting that dream on hold. There are many situations that get in the way that force individuals to step away from their dreams and take care of their personal issues. Everyone has the aspiration to fulfill their dreams, but sometimes dreams are set aside for various reason, and some people never return to continue fulfillment. In the poem Harlem, Hughes writes, “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” (Hughes). One of the many sacrifices when in search of the American Dream or any dream in general is the potential of it being put off. Like Langston Hughes says, the dream may dry up like a raisin in the sun, but in actuality the dream is never lost, the remnants are still there. It is simply set aside so when the time is right to continue on with the dream the individual can pick up where they left off. As the dream sits on hold it loses its importance, or it dries up. Putting off a dream is one of the biggest sacrifices someone could make no matter the circumstance. People are sacrificing what their lives could have potentially been. Hughes talks about all of the feelings that come with putting off a dream and describes what could potentially happen to a differed dream. Ultimately, the poem is about the sacrifice of giving up this American Dream and choosing a different

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes' Poetry

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    Langston Hughes (1902-1967) absorbed America. In doing so, he wrote about many issues critical to his time period, including The Renaissance, The Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the Black Power movement, Jazz, Blues, and Spirituality. Just as Hughes absorbed America, America absorbed the black poet in just about the only way its mindset allowed it to: by absorbing a black writer with all of the patronizing self-consciousness that that entails.

    Read More

  • Comparing 'Dreams And A Dream Deferred' By Langston Hughes

    155 Words  | 1 Pages

    A common theme shared by "Dreams" and "A Dream Deferred" is that you should keep on working to fulfill your dreams because if you don't, you will never achieve them and your life will be miserable. Hughes uses imagery and figures of speech to showcase and develop this theme throughout the two poems. In "Dreams," Hughes writes,"Hold..." This decisive use if a metaphor illustrates how life would be much more difficult and sad if we gave up on our dreams. In "A Dream Deferred," Hughes writes,"Does...?"

    Read More

  • Unfulfilled Dreams in Lorraine Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun

    2524 Words  | 6 Pages

    Langston Hughes' poem begins with a deceptively innocent question: "What happens to a dream deferred?" (Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun 1). From the opening line, the reader is left to contemplate an infinite number of possible outcomes, among them if it partially dies, if it continues to live into the next generation, if it matters what kind of dream it is, and many others. And then, suddenly, he adds to it to further focus the question and thusly to compound and raise its complexity. He asks, "Does it dry up / Like a raisin in the sun?" (Hansberry 2-3). Now, whereas the reader could initially answer the first question in whichever way he wished, he now finds him...

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes' Poem The Weary Blues

    4375 Words  | 9 Pages

    Locke, Alain. Critical Essays of Langston Hughes. Editor: Edward J. Mullen. G.K. Hall & Co., Boston. 44-45.

    Read More

  • The Poem Negro by Langston Hughes

    751 Words  | 2 Pages

    The poem “Negro” was written by Langston Hughes in 1958 where it was a time of African American development and the birth of the Civil Rights Movement. Langston Hughes, as a first person narrator tells a story of what he has been through as a Negro, and the life he is proud to have had. He expresses his emotional experiences and makes the reader think about what exactly it was like to live his life during this time. By using specific words, this allows the reader to envision the different situations he has been put through. Starting off the poem with the statement “I am a Negro:” lets people know who he is, Hughes continues by saying, “ Black as the night is black, /Black like the depths of my Africa.” He identifies Africa as being his and is proud to be as dark as night, and as black as the depths of the heart of his country. Being proud of him self, heritage and culture is clearly shown in this first stanza.

    Read More

  • Harlem by Langston Hughes

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    the more the dreams will not happen and in the poem it is clear that Hughes has a very strong opinion

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Langston Hughes's 'I Dream A World'

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    Langston Hughes’s poem “I Dream A World” grants a voice to any person, who has been exposed to a life in racial prejudice and inequality, including the writer. That voice belongs to any black person, who has lived the poorer than poor life. This life was full of consistent violation of basic human rights, full of frustration, and overflowing with hopelessness. Upon closer examination, the situation of the poem uncovers the painstakingly raw yearning for humanity and equality.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Dreams Essay

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dreams are necessary. Without dreams, there will be no ambition to chase. There will be no goal to reach. We won't have anything to aim for. We will all be nothing without dreams. Not having dreams is like chasing a traceless murder. It is like following an invisible shadow. It is a dreadful goose chase. We must know what we want to do and follow that ambition. We can’t achieve anything in life without goals, and for these goals, we need to dream.

    Read More

More about Lagnston Hughes' Poem Dreams

Open Document