“Children’s Rhymes” by Langston Hughes (1926)

While Hughes doesn’t explicitly mention race in “Dreams,” his speaker in “Children’s Rhymes” directly addresses the racial dynamic of dreams. The speaker—a Black child—grasps that white people have hopes that Black people lack. As the speaker quips, “I know I can’t / be President” (Lines 4-5). The poem also touches on immobility when the speaker states, “We know everybody / ain’t free” (Lines 9-10). The adversity doesn’t defeat the speaker. They challenge the prejudiced status quo and, arguably, hold onto their dreams.

“Harlem” by Langston Hughes (1951)

In “Harlem,” dreams continue to symbolize hope. Instead of a metaphor, Hughes uses a series of unbecoming similes (a comparison using “like” or “as”) to highlight how “a dream deferred” (Line 1) negatively impacts a person's life. The images are as disquieting as the illustrations of the hurt bird and frozen field: There’s a dry raisin in the sun, a festering sore, and a pile of rotting meat. Conversely, Hughes’s speaker allows for mobility. The dream might “explode” (Line 11) on its own and take off despite the repression.

“The Crazy Woman” by Gwendolyn Brooks (1960)

The 20th-century poet and novelist Gwendolyn Brooks subverts “Dreams.