Preview

Dreams By Langston Hughes Essay

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
252 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Dreams By Langston Hughes Essay
In the poem “Dreams”, langston Hughes uses imagery to convey that life would be useless without dreams. First of all, Hughes uses metaphor in the first stanza to show how life would be meaningless without dreams. The narrator states that “Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly” (3-4). The metaphor that was used in this sentence, means that there is no point of the bird if it doesn't have wings because the purpose of the is to fly. Then, the author compares life with a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Meaning that a bird can't do anything without is wings, such as in life there is nothing a person can do or achieve if there is no dreams. In addition, Hughes also uses metaphor in the next stanza to support the point, which is about that
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Till It's Blood Is Red On The Cruel Bars Analysis
    • 373 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Till It's Blood Is Red On The Cruel Bars Analysis

    The author uses imagery to illustrate and give the reader a clear understanding of his thoughts about injustice. Dunbar uses imagery by stating, “ Till it’s blood is red on the cruel bars” (line 9). This shows the bird’s relentless efforts to escape. The author includes this to relate the bird’s struggles and hardships to his own dealing with injustice. Another way Dunbar uses imagery to relate to injustice is by stating, “ When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, When he beats his bars and he would be free; It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer he sends from his heart’s deep core”( lines 16-19). Here the author uses imagery to show the reader that even when the bird is in pain he still fights for freedom and justice. The author uses this piece of imagery to relate himself to the bird in the sense of that like the bird, the author fights for his freedom, but along the way is…

    • 373 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Consequences Of A Dream Deferred In 'Harlem' By Langston Hughes
    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Consequences Of A Dream Deferred In 'Harlem' By Langston Hughes

    In the poem “Harlem ( A Dream Deferred)” by Langston Hughes, he talks about dreams; dreams that society has, dreams that he has. Not a dream that you have while you're sleeping but a dream that you have and want to pursue. He addresses the questions of what happens when a person's dreams are destroyed. The author uses a lot of visual, descriptive language to try and show that nothing good can come from not achieving your dreams. For example, he compares not realizing a dream to the stench of rotten meat, which suggest the consequence is negative. None of the language in the poem reflects anything positive about a dream deferred.…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis of Langston Hughes' Harlem (Dream Deferred):
    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis of Langston Hughes' Harlem (Dream Deferred):

    Langston Hughes's poem "Dream Deferred" is basically about what happens to dreams when they are put on hold. Hughes probably intended for the poem to focus on the dreams of African-Americans in particular because he originally entitled the poem "Harlem," which is the capital of African American life in the United States; however, it is just as easy to read the poem as being about dreams in general and what happens when people postpone making them come true. Ultimately, Hughes uses a carefully arranged series of images that also function as figures of speech to suggest that people should not delay their dreams because the more they postpone them, the more the dreams will change and the less likely they will come true.…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Dream Deferred By Langston Hughes Analysis
    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Dream Deferred By Langston Hughes Analysis

    In his poem “A Dream Deferred,” Langston Hughes utilizes vivid sensory imagery and similes to explore the various phases of a dream deferred. Before I wrote my stylistic imitation, one of my friends suggested I look carefully at the historical context surrounding this poem’s publication. This poem was written right before the Civil Rights Movement, during a time when racial tensions were high in the U.S. and this got me thinking about movements today. Recently, there has been an increased awareness of the rampant police brutality in America, and as I was contemplating the historical context of my poem today, I immediately thought of the #BlackLivesMatterMovement today, which is why I titled my imitation “Matter.” Hughes lived in a society where the dreams of Black people for true liberty and equality were constantly de-valued. Similarly, today, it is clear that racism and systematic oppression still exists. While black and brown people are being shot down by corrupt police officials, these same officials are being acquitted of their crimes, and our cries for justice are not answered. This is what I tried to draw…

    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay on Langston Hughes
    • 2258 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Essay on Langston Hughes

    Many leaders in today’s society possess characteristics that determine how they are either chosen or self-made. These characteristics could range from being a charismatic, transformational, motivational, or influential leader. Each has its own meaning, but it is possible for leaders to possess more than one characteristic. Being a charismatic leader consists of having a charming and colorful personality. As the text reads, “In the study of leadership, charisma is a special quality of leaders whose purposes, powers, and extraordinary determination differentiate them from others."…

    • 2258 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    PEI- landmarks
    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages

    PEI- landmarks

    The physical appearance of P.E.I. is it has many rolling hills, lots of water and red sand.…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Langston Hughes Poetry Analysis
    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Langston Hughes Poetry Analysis

    Personally for me , I felt more similarly to the Langston Hughes essay. The era the essay is written from might be another reason since it is more modern and easier to relate. Compared to the Gates essay it was easier to wrap my head around it. I was able to dissect the essay and see the true meaning you could say. The wording Huge used was also more modern and easier to understand.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Raisin In The Sun By Langston Hughes Analysis
    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Raisin In The Sun By Langston Hughes Analysis

    A dream that seems impossible to attain, causes obsession and corruption in one’s mind. Langston Hughes asks in his poem, “Does…

    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Secure Base Children
    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Secure Base Children

    Detachment describes the way a child reacts to their attachment figure after being separated from her for a time period and then meets her again. Children who had been separated from their attachment figure for days or weeks, when reunited with their attachment figure showed detachment behaviors. Detachment behaviors are: no recognition of the attachment figure; turning away and/or walking away from the attachment figure; crying or coming close to crying; and an expressionless face. Furthermore, “There is reason to believe that after a very prolonged or repeated separation during the first three years of life detachment can persist indefinitely” (p. 12). From the above information we learn that separation is dangerous; it has lifelong effects and should be avoided if possible.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Dream Deferred - the Poetry of Langston Hughes
    • 1661 Words
    • 7 Pages

    A Dream Deferred - the Poetry of Langston Hughes

    The poetry of Langston Hughes, the poet laureate of Harlem, is an effective commentary on the condition of blacks in America during the 20th Century. Hughes places particular emphasis on Harlem, a black area in New York that became a destination of many hopeful blacks in the first half of the 1900ís. In much of Hughes' poetry, a theme that runs throughout is that of a "dream deferred." The recurrence of a"dream deferred" in several Hughes poems paints a clear picture of the disappointment and dismay that blacks in America faced in Harlem. Furthermore, as each poem develops, so does the feeling behind a"dream deferred," growing more serious and even angry with each new stanza.<br><br>To understand Hughes' idea of the"dream deferred," one must have an understanding of the history of Harlem. First intended to be an upper class white community, Harlem was the home of many fancy brownstones that attracted wealthy whites. Between 1906 and 1910, when whites were forcing blacks out of their neighborhoods in uptown Manhattan, the blacks began to move into Harlem. Due to racial fears, the whites in the area moved out. Between 1910 and the early 1940's, more blacks began flooding into the area from all over the world, fleeing from the racial intolerance of the South and the economic problems of the Caribbean and Latin America. Eventually Harlem became an entirely black area. However, this town once filled with much potential soon became riddled with overpopulation, exploitation, and poverty. Thus, what awaited new arrivals was not a dream; rather, it was a"dream deferred" (Harlem Today).<br><br>Hughes' first poem"Harlem" clearly outlines the"dream deferred" theme, setting the pace for the poems to follow. The first line of this poem is"What happens to a dream deferred?" In the case of this poem, the dream is of the promise of Harlem, and what blacks hoped to find there: opportunity, better living conditions, and freedom from racial intolerance. When blacks arrived in Harlem,…

    • 1661 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Langston Hughes: Harlem a Dream Deferred
    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Langston Hughes: Harlem a Dream Deferred

    A dream cast aside can rankle a person’s will in the deepest of ways. It tends to permeate their every thought and becomes an unshakable burden. In the poem “Harlem (A Dream Deferred)” by Langston Hughes, the language used describes how a suspended goal can frustratingly linger. The writer first poses a question: “What happens to a dream deferred?” He then compares a postponed dream to a dried up raisin or a festering sore, giving a reader the idea of how treacherous it can be to put off one’s goals. What only can make it worse is when we have little control over our fate; when the determination of whether or not our goals are achievable is decided by someone else as was done with the African American population in the United States throughout the early 20th century.

Life for the black population of America throughout the early 1900s was less than ideal. While they’d been free from slavery for nearly 100 years, they remained in segregated schools and were restricted to menial work nonetheless. Between 1920 and 1930, a movement was followed by African Americans across the United States known as the Harlem Renaissance (see Great Days In Harlem). The movement aimed to establish an identity for blacks in America and gave many hope that they might be seen equal to their white counterparts. The movement lost momentum, but its ideals remained in the hearts of the people; their dreams of equality left behind to fester in the backs of their minds. So what happens when a dream such as this is deferred? If it is a true dream, reflecting our hearts desire, it cannot be forgotten easily. Hughes, an African American in the Harlem Renaissance era, writes a poem full of bitter possibilities reflecting his frustration.

Evidently, Hughes felt frustrated when he wrote this poem in 1951. It was 30 years after the start of the renaissance movement, and it seemed to him that the black identity had made no steps toward equality. At this point in time, the African Americans were feeling…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hughes Variety of Poetic and Literary Techniques
    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Hughes Variety of Poetic and Literary Techniques

    Langston Hughes uses a lot of imagery in this poem. Imagery is a specific language that describes sensory details. This gives a very vivid picture of the ideas in the poem. Dream Deferred is almost all imagery. An example of that would be; "Or crust over like a syrupy sweet?"…

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Langston Hughes Poems Analysis
    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Langston Hughes Poems Analysis

    In my opinion, Dream Variations demonstrates Hughes desire for African Americans to be able to enjoy the pleasures of life as white people did. When he says “to whirl and to dance till the white day is done” he is speaking of being able to be free, dancing and “flinging your arms” is demonstrative of freedom and an open expression of freedom. Then be able to rest at night and have a sense of peace of mind, knowing that African Americans have the same opportunities that White Americans experienced.…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Harlem Analysis
    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Harlem Analysis

    The use of imagery is prevalent throughout this poem. Hughes begins the poem by asking, “What happens to a dream deferred?” (690). From there he uses vivid imagery in the form of similes to paint a picture of someone’s dream that is wasting away. The images he uses touch on all five senses: sight, touch, smell,…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Bio Lab Report
    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Bio Lab Report

    Three slides were prepared by using the medicine dropper to place a few drops of the sterile blood product on a slide then covering it with the coverslip. The blood cells were then viewed under the microscope at 600x magnification. While viewing the first slide of blood cells, one drop of physiologic saline was added, and the effect on the blood cells was viewed and noted. For the second slide, one drop of 10% saline was added, and for the third slide, a drop of the deionized water was added. When…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics