In “As I Grew Older,” Langston Hughes organizes the phases of a dream throughout childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, showing the importance of breaking down obstacles that pose barriers to an individual's dream.
The birth of a dream develops during one’s childhood. These childhood dreams hold great significance and hope. Hughes’ dream stands clear in front of him, in which he describes “Bright like a sun/ my dream” (lines 5-6). In this simile, the poet suggests that the dream is bright like the sun, because he sees it in glowing light and it appears vivid to him. The brightness of the sun is being compared the brightness of a young child’s dream. The Dream is very hopeful during his youth, which shows as a child his attitude was positive
Hughes looks past his race and is now able to see the world in a positive light. Hughes went from sounding dismal to purposeful when he shouts “my hands!/ my dark hands!/ break through the wall!” (lines 20-22). He wants his dream to be achieved, and that means the wall must be broken through. The repetition highlights how being black in a world of white supremacy can be a struggle, but it is important to fight for dreams, despite obstacles. He wants to break apart the darkness that is keeping him from achieving his hopes and aspirations, “Into a thousand lights of sun, / Into a thousand whirling dreams/ Of sun!” (lines 28-29). The hyperbole used in the quote, exaggerates how the brightness of the sun and his dream out measure the shadows darkness that once posed as an obstacle. The shadow was broken apart and as a result the dream was broken into thousands of suns and dreams, making his dream just as hopeful in adulthood as it was in his childhood. The light of the sun and his optimistic dream now overshadow all his past obstacles of prejudice, discrimination, and oppression. Hughes was able to overcome obstacles by fighting for his dreams, despite all the impediments that he
It can cause one to become hopeless and think that it might not ever happen. One can be lead to thought that since Hughes is an African American he can not achieve his dreams due to the society that holds him back. One can see all throughout the poem Hughes uses words that perfectly describe a deferred or delayed dream. Hughes uses words like “fester”, “explode”, “sugar over”, “dry up” and “stink”. One can see that all the words describe a dream deferred in a negative and violent manner.
Langston Hughes was a large influence on the African-American population of America. Some of the ways he did this was how his poetry influenced Martin Luther King Jr. and the Harlem Renaissance. These caused the civil rights movement that resulted in African-Americans getting the rights that they deserved in the United States. Hughes was born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was young and his grandmother raised him. She got him into literature and education; she was one of the most important influences on him. He moved around a lot when he was young, due to his parents divorce, but remained a good student and graduated high school. After this he traveled the world and worked in different places, all the things he saw in his travels influenced him. In 1924 he settled down in Harlem where he became one of the important figures in the Harlem Renaissance. He enjoyed listening to blues and jazz in clubs while he wrote his poetry. The music that he enjoyed greatly influenced the style and rhythm of his poetry. The poem “Dream Variations” by Hughes is about an average African-American who dreams of a world where African-Americans are not looked at or treated differently and they can rest peacefully. Yet in real life this was not so, black people and white people were not equal. And the world was not as forgiving and nice as in their dream. This poem is a good example of Hughes writing because it is typical of three things. The first is the common theme of the average life of an African-American and their struggles. Secondly, the style of his writing which is based on the rhythm of jazz and blues- he uses a lot of imagery and similes. Lastly, his influences which are his lonely childhood and growing up as an Afric...
Dreams prove as a powerful, motivating force, propelling an individual forward into real achievements in life. Conversely, dreams can transpire as blatantly artificial. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” depicts the story of Dexter Green, a young man who dreams of achievements and works hard in a real, non-illusionary world to win them. His work in this plain, unromantic world brings him ever closer to the dream world he so desperately wants, while at the same time the dreams show themselves as decaying or empty. Unfortunately, this does not cure him of dreaming and does not push him to abandon his dreams in favor of a healthier attitude.
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.
Because of that, his writing seems to manifest a greater meaning. He is part of the African-American race that is expressed in his writing. He writes about how he is currently oppressed, but this does not diminish his hope and will to become the equal man. Because he speaks from the point of view of an oppressed African-American, the poem’s struggles and future changes seem to be of greater importance than they ordinarily would. The point of view of being the oppressed African American is clearly evident in Langston Hughes’s writing.
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.
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
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” This quote from Walt Disney addressing the concept of achieving dreams is very accurate, and can be seen throughout literature today and in the past. Dreams can give people power or take away hope, and influence how people live their lives based upon whether they have the determination to attack their dreams or not; as seen through characters like the speaker in Harlem by Langston Hughes and Lena and Walter Younger in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in The Sun.
the more the dreams will not happen and in the poem it is clear that Hughes has a very strong opinion
Evidently, Walter Lee?s judgment becomes significantly impaired and all because of his dreams. In the world today, people still struggle with the same problems and desire the same things Walter does. Success is a seemingly huge necessity. In the course of ones life, each person is destined to face personal conflicts and contradictions. These problems, with the ability to overcome them is truly how to achieve greatness. As Mr. Langston Hughes questions so powerfully in his poem, ?What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?? With the help of Walter Lee Younger, the answer becomes evident. Dreams never dry up? they just change.
As a black man in a time period where African-Americans were considered an inferior group of people,dreams and goals would have been difficult to realize. Langston Hughes aptly expresses his frustrations in his poem, "Dream Deferred." As people read this poem, in any time period, they can relate to the simple universal message that the poet expressed. Hughes is very expressive in how he feels about dreams he has had and the fact and his frustration at not being able to pursue and/or fulfill those dreams that he is unable to pursue or fulfill those dreams.
“Find my dream! Help me to shatter this darkness, To smash this night, To break this shadow” with this creation of hope comes a booming light, ending the shadow and depression. Langston Hughes created a very strong climax to the poem and changes the mood from depressed and hopeless to confidence and powerful. This powerful mood and confidence was created from Civil Rights Activists like Martin Luther King Jr. and Langston Hughes
The poem begins by introducing the limitations of the African Americans’ hopes and dreams in the form of a question. Hughes asks, “What happens to a dream deferred” (1). Here, the dream refers to the African Americans’ yearning for equality and freedom, and Hughes wants to examine what happens when that dream is persistently pushed aside. The spacing directly after this line conjures a sense of silence as if allowing a moment to contemplate the question. The lines following this question explore several possible outcomes, and each answer represents the ruin of a forgotten dream.
...urvive, and conquer life and society’s challenges. Hughes was an advocate and speaker for his community. He uses the memory of his past to instill pride in his African American community.
In 2001, there were 6,600 children surveyed to see if the expectations parents held for their kids had an effect on their future lives (Gillett) (BE10). Neal Halfon, a professor from the University of California, discovered that 97% of children were expected to go to college (Gillett) (BE11). This study shows the expectations that parents have for their children affects minors later on in life. In my childhood, I thought everything was fun and games and I was immature. As I grew older into adulthood, not only did I mature but I realized just how serious life is. Even though I didn’t have to make hardly any major decisions or take anything seriously in my childhood, I realize now that I have to be mature and make decisions on my own.