Langston Hughes was a renowned poet, novelist, and essayist who used his work to express the struggles of African Americans in the United States. In his poem “The Dream”, Hughes uses the metaphor of a dream to illustrate the perpetual state of “Deferred Sleep” that African Americans were living in. Through this poem, Hughes wanted to express his fear that the dream of African Americans would be postponed indefinitely. The poem is a reference to a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar, which was written in 1897. In Dunbar's poem, he speaks of a dream deferred and how it can cause a person to become frustrated and angry.
Hughes' poem takes this idea and applies it to the African American experience in the United States. He speaks of how African Americans were denied basic rights and freedoms, and how they were treated as second-class citizens. He also speaks of how their dreams were deferred and how they were unable to achieve their goals due to systemic racism and oppression. Hughes' poem is a powerful reminder of the struggles that African Americans faced in the United States.
It is also a reminder of how far we have come since then, and how much progress has been made in terms of civil rights and equality. However, it is also a reminder that there is still much work to be done in order to ensure that all people are treated equally and that everyone has an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams. Langston Hughes' poem “The Dream” is an important reminder of the struggles that African Americans have faced throughout history, and it serves as a powerful reminder of why we must continue to fight for equality and justice for all people. It is also a reminder that we must never forget our past, and that we must continue to strive for a better future for all.
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