Dream Boogie

Dream Boogie

Sharon Coleman

ENG125: Introduction to Literature

Dr. Charlie Wilson

October 19, 2012

Dream Boogie

"Dream Boogie" captured my interest because it was conceived by the late, great, Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes garnered tremendous success and notoriety during the Harlem Renaissance. The Renaissance was a significant era of literary and musical achievements for African Americans. However, African Americans were yet embroiled in racial discrimination. The theme of this poem is what a dream deferred is and what it means to every individual that have a dream never materialize. What happens when your dreams are deferred? What is life without dreams and ambitions that you anticipate one day will be realized? What happens when all your hopes are shattered over and over again? A dream does not have to cease to exist as long as you faith prevail.

Langston Hughes was a product of the South during the Jim Crow era. Hughes did not forget the oppression suffered at the hands of Anglo-Saxon Americans. I was able to connect with this composition because I was born in Birmingham, Alabama during all the civil unrest of the Jim Crow era. Hughes used the unjustness that he had experienced as a platform to write about political, legal and social injustices as a form of protest. The poem "Dream boogie" is regarding racism, poverty, and injustice and all African American dreams deferred. As you read you understand that the poet is "metaphorically" echoing the disenfranchisement of his people when he mentions a dream deferred.

Initially the persona begins by inquiring of an acquaintance if he heard the rhythm of a dream deferred. The persona advises the audience that the beat is not cheerful because the people are troubled that their dreams are deferred because of racism. The beat is a metaphor for the people's emotions regarding the hopelessness they feel. Langston Hughes "Dream Boogie" reveals the racial anguish veiled during gaiety of jazz. Jazz is one of the most distinguishable forms of musical articulation of the African American culture. The influence of jazz and culture on African Americans in times of difficulties, such as taking a distressing problem and using music to heal and hide despair.

The tone changes throughout the poem and there is an appearance of a jublilant tone that conceals the genuine emotions of desiring his dreams though it might be a while. According to Clugston (2010), "Hey pop!, Re-bop!, mop! Is an example of musical imagery. Langston Hughes adopts it to articulate emotions of the people in his poems". This specific poem musical imagery comes from the poem "Dream