Dreams

The poem has multiple genres. As it’s short and expresses Hughes’s beliefs on the fundamental need for dreams, the poem qualifies as a lyric—its tiny, compact form reads almost like a song or song lyrics. Since the speaker wants to teach the reader a lesson about what happens to people when their dreams “die” (Line 2) and “go” (Line 6), the poem also works as a parable. The speaker tells the story of eradicated dreams to instruct the reader why they should “[h]old fast to dreams” (Lines 1, 5).

The speaker doesn’t have a name, gender, race, or identifying characteristics. Many readers and critics call Hughes the speaker of his poems due to the close relationship between his work and life—but within this poem, the speaker remains anonymous. The nameless, unidentified speaker reinforces the parable genre. It’s as if the speaker is not a person but an oracle or an all-knowing deity, trying to communicate worldly knowledge. Conversely, the speaker sounds like an unnamed philosopher educating their audience about the pertinence of preserving dreams.

The tone is wise and thoughtful, and the poem’s neat, symmetrical form highlights the purposeful, measured tone. The poem has two stanzas, and each stanza features four lines (quatrains); this structure relies heavily on repetition. The speaker repeats Line 1 in Line 5, and Line 2 is near identical to Line 6. The syllables in the lines of the stanzas also mirror each other, save for Line 3, which has one more syllable than Line 7. The exacting, nearly identical stanzas are as methodical as the speaker’s tone. The speaker isn’t improvising––they had their thoughts about dreams planned out, and the form reflects their preparation.

To highlight what occurs when dreams pass away and leave, the speaker uses two metaphors—compares dreams to two different figurative or symbolic images. When dreams disintegrate, life doesn’t really become “a broken-winged bird / That cannot flow” (Lines 3-4) or “a barren field / Frozen with snow (Lines 7-8). The metaphors create imagery—vivid pictures that represent what takes place when dreams perish. Through the two metaphors, the speaker makes dreams tangible.

Merriam-Webster lists several definitions for dreams. The first definition is “a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep” (“Dreams.” Merriam-Webster). The fourth definition is “a strongly desired goal or purpose” (“Dreams”). and this definition is most relevant to the poem. In Hughes’s imagery, dreams symbolize hope, and a clear “goal or purpose” gives a person hope—it makes them want to keep going. They live, hoping to achieve their goal or fulfill their purpose. One of the key themes in the short poem is maintaining hope. If dreams depart, hope disappears, and life descends into ghastliness. Another pivotal theme is the threat of immobility. When dreams and hope vanish, life becomes stuck or cold—it’s stagnant, and people leading dreamless lives cannot go places or do much of anything.

The poem also builds toward a theme of determination in the face of adversity. The speaker urges the reader, “Hold fast to dreams” (Line 1). People must keep a firm grasp on their dreams, implying that someone (or something) is inevitably trying to take their dreams from them. Without an obstacle (adversity), there’s no need to maintain an intense hold on dreams. People could relax about their dreams and hold them loosely––they would still be there. In the poem’s context, dreams are valuable and under attack. A person has to protect them and persevere. If they don’t, their life will become static and inert.

Dreams are not people, animals, or living creatures like bugs or flowers, so dreams can’t literally “die” (Line 2). The speaker uses figurative (symbolic) language and hyperbole (dramatic language) to stress the disappearance of dreams. The diction—choosing the word die—jolts the reader and captures their attention.

The first metaphor in Stanza 1 turns a dreamless life into “a broken-winged bird / That cannot fly” (Lines 3-4). A bird that can’t fly isn’t going places—they’re stuck on the ground. The metaphorical hopeless person is similarly stuck. They lack a destination and something to move toward. The bird with a broken wing cannot take off, just as the person with a lost dream cannot move forward—both remain trapped in their respective situations. The image of the stranded bird creates a pitiful and sad tone, as a person without dreams has an unenviable life.

The first line of Stanza 2 repeats the first line of Stanza 1, and the repetition creates a rhythm—a ba-bum beat. Like Stanza 1, the second and last lines rhyme in Stanza 2. The rhymes add to the poem’s melody, and the singsong element contrasts the bleak tone and creates tension. The simple, clear rhymes draw attention to the adversity and threat of immobility.

In Stanza 2, dreams don’t meet death—rather, they “go” (Line 6)—they leave or exit. As with the first metaphor, the speaker uses disquieting diction to create a harrowing image of a life without dreams. Now, life “is a barren field” (Line 7). It’s an empty area of open land that can’t produce or generate. Adding to the immobile image, the speaker says the field is “[f]rozen with snow” (Line 8). The diction—the choice of the word frozen—advances the stagnation and the lack of warmth and receptivity. A frozen, barren, snow-covered field is not a warm and lively place, just as a bird with a broken wing is not a warm and lively creature. Thus, life without dreams—without hope—is sad and dispiriting. To avoid this unfortunate condition, a person must battle adversity and stick with their dreams.