ANALYSIS

A very beautiful, short poem by Langston Hughes. It comes with a very powerful message in

it’s two stanzas. The poet has highlighted the significance of dreams in one’s life. According

to the poet, dreams are a person’s goals important for his growth. The aims that a person sets

in his life and works hard to achieve them, the aims that help us stay focused. Giving up on

your dreams means giving up on your life. These are not the dreams that you experience

while sleeping, when your consciousness is travelling to the multiverse. Rather, these are the

goals that you set for yourself during this life and the hard work you do to achieve them is

what keeps you alive and energized.

In the beginning of both the stanzas, the poet urges the readers  not to give up on their

dreams. He repeatedly used the words, “Hold fast to dreams” in both of the stanzas. He is

actually emphasising the reader to hold onto his/her dreams and to chase them or else they

might lose their life. As in, a life without purpose is meaningless.

 In the first stanza he has used metaphors, he has compared dream less life with a broken

winged bird. A bird in literature is usually a powerful symbol of freedom and flight. A broken

winged bird means a bird that cannot fly, and a bird that cannot fly in the sky is like a

meaningless dead being, because birds are free beings. They can walk on earth as well as

when they feel like they can fly up. Therefore, according to the poet, if you do not hold onto

your dreams you are like a broken winged bird that cannot fly and n/po flight means near

death for the bird. If you lose your wings there is no hope left in life. The wings are the hope

and if the hope dies, there is no life left in the bird.

In the second stanza the poet uses another metaphor i.e. barren land. This means that when

you give up on your dreams you become like some bad, infertile lands that cannot produce

anything for anyone. Your days become dark, gloomy, winter days unlike the bright, sunny,

summer days. There must be something in your life that keeps you going or else you will
become like a good for nothing land. Your purposeless life is useless for your own self and

the world. The barren field and snow represent dullness and demise of the soul. As a barren

field is unproductive so is a person who’s living a purposeless, dreamless life. Such a person

spends an unsatisfied, colourless and miserable life.

 So, basically the poet inspires his readers to follow their dreams and to never ever give up on

their dreams. One should recognize their aims and objectives and then leave no stone

unturned in the pursuit of their objectives. One of the fundamental principles of life is that

you get what you strive for, so keep going. Keep working to achieve your goals. Stay

focused, live a life full of energy and zeal so that you enjoy every single second of it. This

sends a motivational message to readers as well i.e. If you hold onto something, you

continuously struggle to achieve it without any stop. In such a journey you enjoy to the fullest

and finally get the thing you have desired for. Consistency is the key. You get what you work

for. There must be some inspiration that you follow, the one dream that is also very sacred to

you and you continue to have it. You got to do whatever it takes to get there. Dreams give

you hope to move forward, to move towards progression and self growth. Dreams make your

life purposeful, rich in experiences. A life like this is a life lived well. This is continually

adding to your growth, where you do things without any fears of failure to reach heights, you

enjoy your journey to your dreams. Only if you live a fruitful and successful life yourself,

you can help others too. So, spend a colourful life full of ambitions and struggle consistently

to get what you want and prevent yourself from hopelessness, lifelessness and become a

better being. Do something that makes a difference, that inspires others to grow further.