Painting of animals, birds, colorful trees, and people
Art by Rafael López
Poetry,

Dreams

Langston Hughes’s timeless poem about the importance of dreams

By Langston Hughes
From the March/April 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will learn about metaphors by identifying what the poet compares a life without dreams to and why he makes these comparisons.

Complexity Factors
  • Levels of Meaning
    This beautiful and enduring poem by Langston Hughes reminds us of the importance of protecting our dreams.
  • Structure
    The poem is comprised of two four-line stanzas and has an ABCB rhyming pattern. Each stanza is an imperative sentence addressed directly to the reader. Two bubbles, one containing a question and the other a definition for one of the poem’s words, are designed to guide readers to better understand and appreciate the poem.
  • Language
    The poem includes metaphors and repetition.
  • Knowledge Demands
    To understand the poem, students will need to interpret the figurative language.
Featured Skill: Figurative Language, Elements of Poetry,
Other Key Skills: imagery, compare and contrast, interpreting text, making connections, inference, building knowledge
Standards
  • Common Core
    Anchor Standards: R.1, R.2, R.4, R.5, SL.1, SL.2, L.4, L.5 Grade 4: RF.4.4, RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.4, RL.4.5, SL.4.1, SL.4.2, L.4.4, L.4.5 Grade 5: RF.5.4, RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.4, RL.5.5, SL.5.1, SL.5.2, L.5.4, L.5.5 Grade 6: RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.4, RL.6.5, SL.6.1, SL.6.2, L.6.4, L.6.5
  • TEKS
    Grade 4: 4.1a, c, d; 4.3a, b; 4.4; 4.6; 4.7b, c, d, f, g; 4.8a; 4.9b, f; 4.10a, b, c, d Grade 5: 5.1a, c, d; 5.3a, b; 5.4; 5.6; 5.7b, c, d, f, g; 5.8a; 5.9b, f; 5.10a, b, c, d Grade 6: 6.1a, c, d; 6.2a, b; 6.3; 6.5; 6.6b, c, d, f, g, h; 6.7a; 6.8b, f; 6.9a, b, c, d

Presentation View
See Student View
Hold fast

What does it mean to “hold fast”?
barren

Barren means unable to grow anything.

Want to hear this poem read aloud by a special guest? Find the audio read-aloud in your Resources tab. 

Want to hear this poem read aloud by a special guest? Click here!

UP CLOSE: Metaphor

A metaphor is a comparison that doesn’t use like or as. In this poem, what does the poet compare life to? Why?

Dreams

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.

This poem was originally published in the March/April 2023 issue.  


Audio ()
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Audio ()
Activities (2) Download All Activities
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading the Poem

3. Discussing the Poem

4. Skill Building

5. Can’t-Miss Teaching Extras

1. Preparing to Read

  • Before reading this poem, let students know it was written about 100 years ago by the famous Black American poet Langston Hughes. Hughes often wrote about the hopes and lives of ordinary people, especially Black people.
  • Point out the word barren in line 7 to students before reading. Review its definition (unable to grow anything) and ask what they think a “barren field” might be.
  • Ask a volunteer to read aloud the Up Close box for the class. 

2. Reading the Poem

  • Read the poem aloud, or play our Audio Read-Aloud for the class.
  • Invite a student to do a second read of the poem. This time, pause for the class to discuss the questions next to the poem. (These questions are also included in the “Discussing the Poem” section that follows.)

3. Discussing the Poem

  • What type of dreams is the poet writing about in his poem? (interpreting text) The poet is writing about dreams that represent your hopes and goals for your future.
  • In the first line, what does it mean to “hold fast”? (interpreting text) “Hold fast” means to firmly hold on to something and not let it go.
  • In the first stanza, what does the poet compare a life without dreams to? Why do you think the poet makes this comparison? (metaphor) He compares a life without  dreams to a bird with a broken wing. A broken-winged bird can no longer fly freely, as it is meant to do. The poet makes this comparison to say that a life without dreams is not the way life is meant to be lived. It’s a broken life, without a sense of freedom and joy. 
  • Why does the poet repeat the phrase “Hold fast to dreams” at the beginning of each stanza? (author’s craft) The author repeats the phrase to emphasize the importance of holding on to your dreams and keeping them safe.
  • What metaphor is found in the second stanza? Rewrite the second stanza in your own words. (metaphor) The metaphor is “Life is a barren field/Frozen with snow.” Answers to the second question should be similar to: Don’t let go of your dreams because a life without dreams is like a frozen field where nothing grows. 
  • What important lesson do you think the poet wants you to learn from this poem? (theme) The poet wants you to learn that you need to have dreams for yourself because a life without them feels broken and sad. 

4. Skill Building

Distribute or assign the Poetry Kit (available in your Resources tab), in which will take students on a deep dive into the poem and its connection to the other stories in the issue. It will include the questions in this lesson plan. 

Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Listen to the Poet

In this two-and-a-half minute video from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, you can hear Langston Hughes read and talk about four of his poems, including “Dreams.” (Note: The video starts after a short ad.)

Learn More About Langston Hughes

This page from Britannica Kids has more information about Langston Hughes’s life and career, including some photos of the famous poet.

Text-to-Speech