Theme. A theme is a central idea in a literary work. When a writer decides on a theme, he or she must consider the work’s audience and decide what themes the audience identifies with and finds important. Hughes’s themes most often include racial issues. Hughes was very skilled at bringing together ideas of what it was to be black and American, at a time when most people thought of them as separate. In “Dreams,” “A Dream Deferred,” and “The Dream Keeper,” he dealt with themes that were central to African-American life but that everyone could understand and appreciate. As you read, identify possible themes for each poem.

Rhythm and Sound. Rhythm is the pattern of beats in a line of poetry or prose. A poem’s sound is created by the way the sounds of the words combine. Sound often reveals the writer’s voice and builds the poem’s mood and meaning. As you read, pay attention to rhythm and sound in each poem. Are there words in each poem that stand out more than other words, creating a beat? How does rhythm in general differ in the three poems? Do you notice anything about the sound of certain words in each poem? Which poems use rhyme, and where? Make some general notes about how rhythm and sound work to influence mood and/or the writer’s voice in each poem. Use the graphic organizer below as a model for recording your information. Create a chart for each poem.

• American History Connection. Langston Hughes was one of the major poets of the Harlem Renaissance, a movement in the 1920s that brought many African-American poets, playwrights, and authors into national fame. Led by a diverse group of people, including scholar W. E. B. DuBois, philosopher Alain Locke, and writer James Weldon Johnson, this explosion of thought and art brought newfound respect to the black community. The movement also drew greater attention to the problems that existed for African Americans and set the stage for the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
• Social Studies Connection. These three poems all deal with dreams, personal goals, and ideals. Langston Hughes was a great believer in the power of dreams, and many of his poems include the subject of pursuing one’s dreams. In the times before the Civil Rights movement, the only things some African Americans had were their dreams. Hughes knew that people’s dreams are a source of hope and that to deny them their dreams is to deny them hope for a better future. Before there was any sign that there would be equal rights for all in the United States, many African Americans kept hope alive only by never giving up their dreams of freedom, equality, and a better life.

What are your dreams? What would you do and how would you feel if they came true? if they never came true?