# Dreams explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Langston Hughes.

## What happens

A brief but powerful poem urging the reader to cling to their dreams, warning that without them life becomes broken and barren.

## Themes in this chapter

### Dreams and Despair

The entire poem centers on the vital importance of dreams and the desolation that follows their loss.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker addresses a son or boy, offering wisdom about the necessity of dreams.

## Key lines

> Hold fast to dreams, my son, For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly.

Cling tightly to your aspirations, child, because without them life becomes as helpless and grounded as a bird with a broken wing.

_The first stanza uses the metaphor of a flightless bird to illustrate the crippling effect of lost dreams._

> Hold fast to dreams, O boy, For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.

Keep a firm grip on your hopes, young one, because once they vanish life turns into a cold, empty wasteland.

_The second stanza shifts to an image of a frozen, unproductive field, emphasizing the lifelessness that follows the departure of dreams._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters/dreams
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters