Langston Hughes Compare and Contrast
Compare and Contrast Essay
Langston Hughes
What happens when you don’t hold on to a dream? Langston Hughes’ “Dreams” and “Dreams Deferred” discuss this issue. They are written with similar themes, but differ in writing styles. In the poem “Dreams” a direct approach is used. Hughes uses statements and metaphors to make his point. The authors statements tell us to hold on to our dreams. This is the focus of the poem. He uses metaphors to reiterate this thought, and expand the readers understanding of the serious nature of this statement. The first metaphor from this poem is, “life is a broken winged bird, that cannot fly.” Hughes’ statement coupled with this metaphor explains that life has no purpose without dreams, just as a bird cannot fly with broken wings. The second metaphor from the poem is, “life is a barren field, frozen with snow.” This is another strong image portrayed by the author through statement and metaphor. Hughes is saying there is nothing to life without dreams. It is clear that the author has strong opinions, and uses descriptive language to share his thoughts. In the poem “Dream Deferred,” Hughes makes a similar point regarding dreams. His basic belief is that no person should loose sight of his or her dreams because in the end, life will loose all purpose. Hughes’ “Dreams Deferred” differs from “Dreams” in that he uses questions instead of statements, and similes instead of metaphors. An Example of a simile from this poem is, “does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” This quote is questioning where a dream goes. A second example, “or fester like a sore and then run?”, asks the same question. These similes clearly depict the view that if you don’t commit to your dreams, then something bad will happen and your dreams will be crushed. “Dreams” and “Dreams Deferred” both are written by Langston Hughes, and are poems about lost dreams. Although the style of each poem is different, the overall theme of
Langston Hughes
What happens when you don’t hold on to a dream? Langston Hughes’ “Dreams” and “Dreams Deferred” discuss this issue. They are written with similar themes, but differ in writing styles. In the poem “Dreams” a direct approach is used. Hughes uses statements and metaphors to make his point. The authors statements tell us to hold on to our dreams. This is the focus of the poem. He uses metaphors to reiterate this thought, and expand the readers understanding of the serious nature of this statement. The first metaphor from this poem is, “life is a broken winged bird, that cannot fly.” Hughes’ statement coupled with this metaphor explains that life has no purpose without dreams, just as a bird cannot fly with broken wings. The second metaphor from the poem is, “life is a barren field, frozen with snow.” This is another strong image portrayed by the author through statement and metaphor. Hughes is saying there is nothing to life without dreams. It is clear that the author has strong opinions, and uses descriptive language to share his thoughts. In the poem “Dream Deferred,” Hughes makes a similar point regarding dreams. His basic belief is that no person should loose sight of his or her dreams because in the end, life will loose all purpose. Hughes’ “Dreams Deferred” differs from “Dreams” in that he uses questions instead of statements, and similes instead of metaphors. An Example of a simile from this poem is, “does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” This quote is questioning where a dream goes. A second example, “or fester like a sore and then run?”, asks the same question. These similes clearly depict the view that if you don’t commit to your dreams, then something bad will happen and your dreams will be crushed. “Dreams” and “Dreams Deferred” both are written by Langston Hughes, and are poems about lost dreams. Although the style of each poem is different, the overall theme of