What is the theme for Dreams by Langston Hughes?

Category: books and literature poetry
3.9/5 (2,827 Views . 26 Votes)
The theme of “Dreams” by Langston Hughes is about not giving up on what you want out of life. Hughes says to “Hold fast to dreams” and not let them go, for if you do, your life will be meaningless and unfulfilled. He shows this theme through his use of figures of speech. “Life is a broken-winged bird. . .



Regarding this, what were some of Langston Hughes major themes in poetry?

Langston Hughes uses countless themes throughout his poetry. Some important themes noticed in his works are music, dignity, racism, survival, collective memory, and american identity. My analysis focuses on two main themes that are prevalent in his poems. These are collective memory and american identity.

One may also ask, what is the tone of Dreams by Langston Hughes? Answer and Explanation: The tone of Dreams by Langston Hughes is somber. The repeated lines ''hold fast to dreams'' are a solemn command, and the descriptions of what happens

Also to know, what is the meaning of the poem Dreams by Langston Hughes?

'Dreams' by Langston Hughes encourages readers to hold fast to their desires and goals, because without them, life is bleak and without hope. In 'Dreams,' Hughes employs the use of a metaphor more than once when he compares life to both a broken-winged bird and a barren and frozen field.

What literary devices are used in dreams by Langston Hughes?

There are five types of imagery that can be used in writing: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. In Dreams, Hughes uses sight imagery. For example, in the first stanza, Life is like a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. With this sentence readers can picture a bird with an injured wing.

38 Related Question Answers Found

What is a theme in poetry?

Theme is the lesson about life or statement about human nature that the poem expresses. To determine theme, start by figuring out the main idea. Then keep looking around the poem for details such as the structure, sounds, word choice, and any poetic devices.

How do you analyze a poem?

Check out these six ways to analyze a poem.
  1. Step One: Read. Have your students read the poem once to themselves and then aloud, all the way through, at LEAST twice.
  2. Step Two: Title. Think about the title and how it relates to the poem.
  3. Step Three: Speaker.
  4. Step Four: Mood and Tone.
  5. Step Five: Paraphrase.
  6. Step Six: Theme.

What is Langston Hughes writing style?

Hughes wrote in several literary genres including poetry, plays, short stories and novels. He is best known for his poetry, using jazz and Black folk rhythms in his work, ignoring classical forms in favor of the oral and improvisational traditions of Black culture. Langston Hughes died in 1967.

What is the message of the poem Dreams by Langston Hughes?

The theme of “Dreams” by Langston Hughes is about not giving up on what you want out of life. Hughes says to “Hold fast to dreams” and not let them go, for if you do, your life will be meaningless and unfulfilled. He shows this theme through his use of figures of speech. “Life is a broken-winged bird. . .

What is the best theme for Langston Hughes poem I too?


1) The poem of Langston Hughes is clearly about African Americans as seen in the second verse: "I am the darker brother." When company comes. 4) At the end of the poem he clearly states that they will be ashamed, so yes, your answer is A.

Why did Langston Hughes start writing?

The tradition of storytelling inspired poet and writer Langston Hughes, who was born in Joplin, Missouri, on February 1, 1902. As a result, Hughes developed a deep interest in African American culture and history that he later wrote into his many stories, autobiographies, histories, and poems.

What is the theme of The Weary Blues?

The central theme of “The Weary Blues” concerns the resilience of the archetypal “common” person who has times of despair or despondency. Music serves as a means of relieving pain or anxiety. The poem transcends the limitations of race, as all people have used music and poetry as a means of getting through bad times.

How do you make a paragraph into a poem?

Literary Alchemy: Turning your prose into poetry
  1. Identify a section in one of your stories, essays, or articles.
  2. Keep or revise your title so that it foreshadows topic or theme.
  3. Select a sentence from your prose excerpt that contains topic and theme.
  4. Revise the sentence so that it expresses a powerful idea.

Is Hold Fast to Dreams a metaphor?

"Hold fast" implies that dreams are tangible and can be physically held on to, so this is also a metaphor. Letting dreams "die" or "go" means losing out on the possibilities that one could have attained by holding onto those dreams.

What is the message of the poem dream deferred?


The dream deferred in Langston Hughes's famous poem is the dream of an America where there will be true equality among the races and where African Americans, specifically, will no longer be discriminated against and oppressed.

Who is the speaker in the poem mother to son?

Answer: The poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes was a mother's plea to his son. The speaker or persona in the poem was the mother. The mother explained that the path she has been through wasn't made of crystal stairs, in other words she had difficulties here and there.

What inspired Langston Hughes to write dreams?

Hughes's creative genius was influenced by his life in New York City's Harlem, a primarily African American neighborhood. His literary works helped shape American literature and politics. Hughes, like others active in the Harlem Renaissance, had a strong sense of racial pride.

Why do we see dreams?

Theories about why we dream include those that suggest dreaming is a means by which the brain processes emotions, stimuli, memories, and information that's been absorbed throughout the waking day. According to research, a significant percentage of the people who appear in dreams are known to the dreamer.

How do you write a dream poem?

Try to remember what emotions you felt during a dream you had and why you felt this way. Honing in on a specific feeling and then expanding on it when writing a poem helps to make it strong and flow easily. Detail. In dreams, we tend to focus on certain details in our surroundings, such as specific shapes or colors.

What is the meaning of the poem mother to son?


"Mother to Son" uses the conceit, or extended metaphor, of a staircase to symbolize the hardship of the mother's life. Her metaphorical "staircase" has made for difficult climbing—it has exposed tacks, splinters, gaps, and places where the carpet is completely worn down.

What does the metaphor life is a broken winged bird mean?

"For if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." Meaning that if you do nothing with your thoughts and feelings you will accomplish nothing.

What literary devices are used in mother to son?

In the poem, Langston Hughes uses the poetic device of an extended metaphor to emphasize the life of the mother. The extended metaphor is a device in which the author uses one analogy and links it to another by using metaphors. The metaphor compares the life of the mother to a crystal staircase.