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Hold fast to dreams. Langston Hughes was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of black intellectual, literary, and artistic life that took place in the 1920s in a number of American cities, particularly Harlem.
Hold fast to dreams. For if dreams die. Life is a broken-winged bird. That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams. For when dreams go. Life is a barren field. Frozen with snow. From The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes published by Alfred A. Knopf/Vintage.
- “Dreams” Summary.
- “Dreams” Themes. The Necessity of Dreams. Where this theme appears in the poem: Lines 1-8.
- Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Dreams” Lines 1-2. Hold fast to ... ... if dreams die. Lines 3-4. Life is a ... That cannot fly. Lines 5-6.
- “Dreams” Symbols. The Broken-Winged Bird. Where this symbol appears in the poem: Lines 3-4: “a broken-winged bird / That cannot fly.” The Frozen Field.
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- Lines 1-2
- Lines 3-4
- Lines 5-6
- Lines 7-8
The first half of the first stanza wastes no time in setting the concept of “dreams” into a front-and-center position so that the reader has no doubt what the primary aspect of the poem is. This concept is given focal-point importance in a manner that also allows the reader to quickly grasp what the point of this poem is. Hughes is not providing a ...
Once more, the directness of the language is key for this pair of lines since Hughes does not mince words as he ventures into his belief of what happens at the demise of “dreams.” Instead, he focuses directly on one of the grandest concepts that can be referenced, which is “[l]ife.” By labeling such a large notion as “[l]ife” as being impacted by l...
The second stanza uses repetition to once more draw the reader back to the advice of “[h]old[ing] fast to dreams,” and to repeat that same line twice in an eight-line poem speaks to how important Hughes believes the advice to be. Stating that guidance in such a manner means that 25% of this poem is represented in those combined four words, and only...
At the end of the first stanza, Hughes labels “[l]ife [as] a broken-winged bird [t]hat cannot fly” in connection to “if dreams die.” However, “when dreams go,” “[l]ife” becomes something much more dramatic. The concept of “fly[ing]” is no longer the main issue with the lost “dreams” because the entirety of the world around the person who has lost t...
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- Poetry Analyst
May 3, 2024 · Critical Questions about “Dreams” by Langston Hughes. Theme 1: The Importance of Dreams. The poem emphasizes the significance of holding onto dreams, as they are essential for a fulfilling life. The first line, “Hold fast to dreams,” sets the tone for the rest of the poem, urging the reader to cling to their dreams.
Nov 21, 2023 · Published in the May 1923 issue of a magazine called The World Tomorrow, "Dreams" by Langston Hughes is a short poem of 8 lines with simple imagery but a strong message. Like many Langston Hughes ...
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Dreams. Langston Hughes used various literary devices to enhance the intended impact of his poem. Some of the major literary devices are analyzed below. Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ in “Life is a broken-winged bird” and the sound of /o ...
