What is a dream? One might say it is a thought or feeling that people experience when they are asleep. Though this is true, a dream is also a wish someone hopes to accomplish. The real question is what happens if dreams are not pursued? In the poem, Harlem by Langston Hughes, the speaker is indirectly discussing what occurs when a dream is ignored.
In Langston Hughes’ poem, A Dream Deferred, Hughes wonders what happens to a dream that does not come true. He writes, “Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?” In A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter shows that his deferred dream does both. Early in the play, he shares his hopes and dreams for his family and their future with his young son, Travis. He imagines that earning his fortune will cure all the shortcomings and injustices in their lives. The limitations of Walter’s aspirations for himself and his family undermine his ability to save his family. Walter’s acceptance of unjust systems, which makes one man “master” and another one “servant,” compromises the power of Walter’s dream. By showing that Walter has internalized this corrupt system, Hansberry illustrates that his dream will not bring Walter or his family happiness.
There are countless times as one grows up when you just stop for a second and reminisce on random things. These memories serve for a very special purpose as the things you do in life shapes you into the person you will become. Today, many authors and poets make use of their memories and experiences in their work as a way to reflect back on their lives, raise awareness, or just simply to tell a story. As a prominent contributor to the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes was an inspirational poet who highlighted many aspects of the urban life of African-Americans through reflections of his own life and experiences.
James Mercer who we all knew as Langston Hughes, was born in Joplin, Missouri February 1, 1902. Right after Hughes was born his parents James Hughes and Carrie Langston, decided to separate. His father went his way and his mother she moved around a lot so his maternal grandmother raised him. Mary, Hughes grandmother had an impact that influenced him into writing poetry. After his grandmother passed he eventually went to stay with his mother where they got settled in Ohio. Hughes began writing poetry throughout his years in high school.
All Langston Hughes ever wanted was for people to have their dreams accomplished and the motivation to bring change forward. However, Hughes’ dreams almost came tumbling down for speaking out in one of his poems like he typically does. In 1940, Hughes had been investigated by the FBI following the release of his poem “Goodbye Christ”. Numerous accusations had arisen, stating Hughes “…[was a] member of the Communist Party, [ran] for public office, called for a race war, married a white woman, and studied Communism in the U.S.S.R.” (Dyson, p. 45, 2002). Although it looked as if Hughes’s days with the rest of society were numbered, Hughes made sure that his dreams were not forgotten. Hughes continued to write poetry during this difficult time period which included his poem “A Dream Deferred”. Hughes realized that when he wrote this poem, it had to be worded in a way that would get his message across while not raising any red flags. Even though his poem would get published, the publishers who helped Hughes had gotten fired (Miller, n.p., 2012). When Hughes was ordered to appear before the Committee of Un-American Activities in 1953, he looked to ensure that he would not end up in jail without abandoning his ideals. Hughes then released a statement regarding himself and his poetry saying that he believes “‘…in an America that changes as Americans want it to change’” which is exactly what is reflected in “A Dream Deferred” (Dyson, p. 45, 2002). When looking into the past events Hughes encountered prior to “A Dream Deferred” being published, it is evident that one can see the importance of pursuing dreams. People will try to get in the way of achieving dreams, whether it be Hughes’s, Harlem’s, of the African-American communit...
The poem takes a dismal turn here. The speaker begins envisioning what will happen when Aunt Jennifer dies, which I find it being harsh.
In 1951 Langston Hughes wrote the poem “dreams”. In this poem Langston Hughes is trying to emphasize the importance of having and following your dreams and their ability to empower, strengthen and sustain an individual's life. Through the use of personification, metaphors, and refrains he accomplishes his purpose of showing us a life without dreams is empty.
It is through his voice that the poem takes shape. Right away he says, “I was trotting along and suddenly it started raining and snowing and you said it was hailing but hailing hit you on the head hard so it was really snowing and raining and I was in such a hurry to meet you but the traffic was acting exactly like the sky” A great amount of urgency is felt through his choice of words....
After reading through the test a second time, a few conclusions can be made. First, Langston Hughes seems to be very serious about the story he is telling. One way we know this to be true is because of its personal nature. Hughes purposely includes his first name. Not only does he just give his name, the word “Langston” is a paragraph of its own.
What does it mean to have a dream? Is it a foolish notion fueled by impulsive desires? Or is it a goal that makes life worth living? In the works of Langston Hughes,—“Mother to Son”, “Dream Deferred”, and “As I Grew Older”—he explores the very essence of what it means to have a dream. The presence of literary devices such as: imagery, motif, and an extended metaphor, clearly alludes to his personal struggles, which made him to question the merit of his dreams. The speaker emphasizes how the obstacles in-between ourselves and our dreams are a natural component of life as well as highlighting the importance of persevering otherwise, our dreams can and will wither away.
In the beginning of the poem, the instructor tells the college student to let the page come out of them and then it will be true. The poem represents the speaker and how they see themselves and the people around them. The speaker is a colored college student who has been instructed to write a page for his/her English class. Is the speaker male or female? Automatically you will think the speaker is a male because of the author being a male. This a common mistake when figuring out the speaker in a poem.
This poem has 10 stanzas and this poem uses rhymes he uses rhymes in just about every sentence but because it’s a short poem there isn’t a-lot of rhymes in the poem.This poem uses repetition at the end of the poem it says And miles to go before i sleep And miles to go before i sleep two times at the end and it rhymes with the times the writer says it in the story.And the figurative language that is in the poem are Similes,and metaphors this poem has allegory in the it it’s being compared to
When Langston Hughes was younger, he was a hopeful youth who thought America would make his dreams come true and he could finally live the American dream. His dreams were slowly degraded as he saw he wasn’t treated as an American, and it wasn’t his America. He saw that the poor could work for their entire lives and still not have the opportunity that those of richer social classes enjoyed. There was no one attempting to change the system either, as it benefited the upper classes greatly, and the lower classes were silenced by their tyrant leaders.
The short story that stood out the most to me would be “One Friday Morning” by Langston Hughes because he discusses many social injustices that are still present in today’s society. The biggest theme in this story is the problem of discrimination, inequality, and prejudice. Hughes, in my opinion, did a great job presenting these themes through the story. He really showed the emotional toll that Nancy Lee had to go through when she found out that she didn’t get the scholarship based on her color. Nancy Lee was very discouraged when Miss O’Shay delivered the bad news to her.
Locke, Alain. Critical Essays of Langston Hughes. Editor: Edward J. Mullen. G.K. Hall & Co., Boston. 44-45.