Fazaia Inter College Minhas Kamra

Unit #3

Dreams (poem)

By: Langston Hughes

Stanza#1

Hold fast to dreams

For a dreams die

Life is a broken winged bird

That cannot fly.

Paraphrasing stanza #1

Hold on tightly to dreams,

For when dreams fade away,

Life becomes like a bird with a broken wing, Unable to soar.

Stanza# 2

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

Paraphrasing stanza#2

Cling tightly to your dreams;

When dreams fade away,

Life becomes a desolate landscape

Covered in snow.

Comprehension exercise

Q.1. what is the theme of the poem?

Theme:

The theme of this poem, “Dreams” by Langston Hughes, is the importance of holding onto one’s
dreams. The poet emphasizes that without dreams, life becomes difficult, desolate, and unfulfilled. The
imagery of a “broken-winged bird” and a “barren field frozen with snow” symbolizes a life without hope
or purpose, suggesting that dreams provide direction, vitality, and meaning to existence.

Q.2. How important do you think dreams are? Explain.

Dreams are incredibly important for several reasons:

Motivation and Purpose: Dreams give people a sense of direction and purpose. They provide goals to
strive for, encouraging individuals to work hard and overcome obstacles.

Resilience: Having dreams fosters resilience. When faced with challenges, the desire to achieve a dream
can help individuals persist, adapt, and find solutions.

Creativity and Innovation: Dreams stimulate creativity and innovation. They inspire individuals to think
outside the box, envision new possibilities, and create new ideas, products, or solutions.

Emotional Well-Being: Pursuing dreams can contribute to emotional and psychological well-being.
Achieving goals, no matter how small, brings a sense of fulfilment and happiness.

Personal Growth: Dreams encourage personal growth by pushing individuals out of their comfort zones.
The journey towards achieving a dream often leads to new skills, experiences, and self-discovery.

Connection and Community: Dreams can also foster connections with others who share similar
aspirations. This sense of community can provide support and encouragement, making the pursuit of
dreams more enriching.

In summary, dreams are essential for personal development, emotional health, and societal progress.
They serve as guiding lights, motivating individuals to pursue their passions and make meaningful
contributions to the world.

Q.3. Identify an example of word or phrase that is repeated in the poem and explain why the poet
makes this repetition?
Ans:The poem “Dreams” by Langston Hughes, the phrase “Hold fast to dreams” is repeated at the
beginning of the stanzas.

Explanation of Repetition:

Emphasis on Importance: The repetition underscores the crucial role that dreams play in life. By starting
each stanza with this phrase, the poet emphasizes that clinging to dreams is essential for a fulfilling life.

Sense of Urgency: The phrase conveys a sense of urgency and encouragement. It suggests that dreams
should be actively cherished and protected, implying that they are fragile and can easily be lost.

Structural Cohesion: The repetition creates a rhythmic structure that reinforces the poem’s overall
message. It helps to unify the poem, making it more impactful and memorable for the reader.

Contrast: The repetition contrasts with the consequences of losing dreams, as highlighted in the
subsequent lines. This stark contrast serves to deepen the reader’s understanding of the emotional
weight that dreams carry in one’s life.

Overall, the repetition of “Hold fast to dreams” serves to drive home the central theme of the poem,
urging readers to value and protect their dreams against despair and adversity.

Q.4. identify an example of personification. Explain what is being personified and how?

Ans:Explanation of Personification:

What is Being Personified: In this example, life is being personified as a “broken-winged bird.”

How It’s Personified:

Attributes of a Bird: The imagery of a bird suggests freedom, movement, and the ability to soar high. By
describing life as a bird with a broken wing, Hughes imbues life with the human-like quality of being
hindered or impaired.

Symbolism: The broken wing symbolizes dreams that have been lost or unfulfilled, implying that when
dreams are abandoned, life becomes limited and incapable of reaching its full potential, just as a bird
with a broken wing cannot fly.
Emotional Impact: This personification evokes feelings of sadness and loss. It suggests that life without
dreams is stifled and unable to achieve its true potential, reinforcing the poem’s central theme about
the importance of holding onto dreams.

By giving life these bird-like qualities, Hughes effectively communicates the fragility of existence when
dreams are not nurtured or pursued.

Q.5. identify line containing metaphors what idea’s are being conveyed by these metaphors?

Ans:Langston Hughes’s poem “Dreams,” the following lines contain metaphors:

“Life is a broken-winged bird / That cannot fly.”

Metaphor: Life is compared to a broken-winged bird.

Ideas Conveyed: This metaphor suggests that life without dreams is stifled and unfulfilled. Just as a bird
with a broken wing cannot soar or reach its potential, a life devoid of dreams is limited, unable to
achieve greatness or freedom.

“Life is a barren field / Frozen with snow.”

Metaphor: Life is likened to a barren field that is frozen with snow.

Ideas Conveyed: This metaphor conveys feelings of emptiness and desolation. A barren field suggests
infertility and lack of growth, while being frozen with snow implies a halt to life and progress. Together,
they represent a life without dreams as lifeless and stagnant, highlighting the importance of nurturing
one’s aspirations for a fulfilling existence.

Overall Significance:

These metaphors underscore the central theme of the poem: that dreams are essential for a vibrant and
meaningful life. Without dreams, life can become a painful experience, characterized by limitations,
stagnation, and despair. Hughes uses these vivid images to evoke strong emotions and emphasize the
necessity of holding onto dreams.

Q.6. List the alliterative words from the poem Dreams.

Ans:

Q.7. How is imagery used in this poem?

Ans: In Langston Hughes’s poem “Dreams,” imagery plays a crucial role in conveying the poem’s central
theme about the importance of dreams. The vivid imagery helps readers visualize the consequences of
losing dreams and the beauty of holding onto them.
Here’s how imagery is used:

“Life is a broken-winged bird / That cannot fly”:

This image evokes a sense of helplessness and limitation. A bird with broken wings symbolizes
something that should soar freely but is now incapable of doing so. It represents life without dreams—
stifled and unable to reach its potential.

“Life is a barren field / Frozen with snow”:

This imagery paints a picture of a desolate, cold, and lifeless landscape. A barren field suggests infertility,
where nothing grows, while the frozen snow represents stagnation. This conveys the idea that a life
without dreams is bleak, cold, and without hope or growth.

Purpose of Imagery:

Emotional Impact: The use of these images creates strong emotional responses, making readers feel the
stark contrast between a life with dreams (full of potential) and a life without them (empty and
desolate).

Vivid Visuals: Hughes uses simple yet powerful images to make abstract ideas (like dreams and their
importance) more tangible and relatable to the reader.

Metaphorical Depth: The images of a bird and a field are not just literal; they metaphorically express the
consequences of losing one’s aspirations, showing how dreams fuel vitality, freedom, and growth.

Overall, Hughes’s imagery makes the theme of the poem more accessible and impactful, helping readers
deeply connect with the idea that dreams are essential for a meaningful life.

Q.8. what is the mood of this poem?

Ans: The poem "Dreams" by Langston Hughes carries a mood of urgency and optimism. The
poem emphasizes the importance of holding onto dreams, as they give life purpose and meaning.
The imagery of a "broken-winged bird that cannot fly" and a "barren field frozen with snow"
evokes a sense of loss and desolation when dreams are abandoned.

The mood may evoke mixed feelings. On one hand, it might inspire hope and determination to
pursue one's aspirations, as Hughes encourages readers to cling to their dreams. On the other
hand, the poem also suggests a melancholic feeling, as it highlights the consequences of letting
dreams fade away, invoking a sense of warning or regret.

Overall, it feels both motivational and reflective, encouraging deep thought about the role of
dreams in one's life.
Concept :1

Simile, metaphor, personification, imagery

Simile: A simile compares two unlike things using the words “like” or “as” to highlight similarities
between them.

Example: “Her smile was as bright as the sun.”

Metaphor: A metaphor directly compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as,” implying that
one thing is another.

Example: “Time is a thief.”

Personification: Personification gives human characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas.

Example: “The wind whispered through the trees.”

Imagery: Imagery involves using descriptive language to create sensory experiences for the reader,
appealing to sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste.

Example: “The golden sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the ocean.”

Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words.

Example: “She sells sea shells by the sea shore.”

Each of these devices enhances writing by adding depth, vividness, and emotional impact.

Concept: 2 .Persuasive essay writing

To write a persuasive essay:

Introduction: Start with a hook, provide background on the topic, and present your thesis (main
argument).

Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph should focus on one argument, supported by evidence. Address and
refute counterarguments to strengthen your position.

Transitions: Use transitional words to ensure smooth flow between ideas.

Conclusion: Restate your thesis, summarize key points, and include a call to action or a final strong
statement.

Focus on logical reasoning, credible evidence, and emotional appeals to persuade your reader.

Concept:3: Transitive and intransitive verb

Transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning. The action of the verb is
done to someone or something. For example:

She kicked the ball.

He wrote a letter.

In these sentences, “the ball” and “a letter” are the direct objects receiving the action of the verbs
“kicked” and “wrote.”

An intransitive verb, on the other hand, does not require a direct object. The action is complete in itself,
and no object is needed to receive the action. For example:

The baby cried.

They laughed loudly.

Here, “cried” and “laughed” are intransitive verbs as they do not have direct objects.

Concept: 4

Present participle and past participle

Present Participle: The present participle is the form of a verb that ends in -ing and is used to create
continuous tenses or function as an adjective. It expresses an ongoing action or state.

Example in continuous tense: She is reading a book.

(The present participle “reading” helps form the present continuous tense.)

Example as an adjective: The crying baby needed attention.

(The present participle “crying” describes the baby.)

Past Participle: The past participle is the form of a verb typically ending in -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n (for
regular or irregular verbs). It is used in perfect tenses or as an adjective to express a completed action.
Example in perfect tense: She has finished her homework.

(The past participle “finished” helps form the present perfect tense.)

Example as an adjective: The broken vase lay on the floor.

(The past participle “broken” describes the vase.)

In summary, the present participle is used for ongoing actions or descriptions, while the past participle
is for completed actions or states.

Concept:5 The clauses

Clause:

A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate (verb) that functions as a part of a
sentence or as a sentence itself. Clauses can be independent or dependent based on their ability to
stand alone as a complete sentence.

Main Clause (Independent Clause):

A main clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence. It expresses a complete thought
and contains both a subject and a verb.

Example: She walked to the park.

Subordinate Clause (Dependent Clause):

A subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence because it does not express a complete
thought. It depends on the main clause to give it meaning. It usually begins with a subordinating
conjunction (e.g., because, although, if).

Example: Although she was tired (this clause does not form a complete sentence on its own).

Relative Clause:

A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that begins with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose,
which, that) or a relative adverb (when, where, why). It provides more information about a noun or
pronoun in the main clause.

Example: The book that you gave me was interesting. (The relative clause that you gave me gives
additional information about the book).