Dreams by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Teachers, are you looking for something inspirational, short, and accessible for the end of the school year? I hear you! Try using Langston Hughes’ poem “Dreams” for a one-pager where students illustrate the poem, add their dreams, their dream vacations, goals for next year, or whatever inspires them. Another idea is to ask students to generate a symbol of their dreams – either dreams they have already realized (college acceptance, new job, new car), or dreams in their future (career, sports championship, leading role). What do these dreams feel like? What symbol captures that feeling? Can they write a simile or metaphor to capture what their dreams mean to them?
I hope these ideas help you get closer to the end of another great school year, or even spark an idea to use in class next year. Try Hughes’ poem and let me know how it goes. I hope you’ll agree that it’s a gem of a poem.
