Message of Empowerment in Dream Deferred, Dreams, Term Paper

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Message of Empowerment in Dream Deferred, Dreams, and Daystar

Dream Deferred (Harlem) by Langston Hughes, Dreams by Nikki Giovanni, and Daystar by Rita Dove are most often categorized as poetry offering insight into the frustration of African-Americans because of societies continuous oppression of their hopes, desires, and dreams. This is correct, but upon further examination one finds there is a deeper, more universal message among the prose...personal empowerment.

A person's individual capability must be fully developed before embarking on a revolution. Langston Hughes in A Dream Deferred warns of the danger involved when potential is subjugated. "What happens to dreams deferred" (Line 1) he asks. "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" Or fester like a sore and run" (Lines 3-5) The imagery is vivid, bringing a tangibility to the emotional death caused by a crushed spirit. The inevitable result of burying potential is a powder keg of emotional guilt. "Maybe it just sags like a heavy load... Or does it explode?" (Lines 9-11) Hughes is definitely discussing the plight of many African-Americans whose dreams have been quashed by society but he is also addressing all who have put aside their dreams because of their own imagined inadequacies.

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This type of repression breeds anger and a combative spirit that may cause a person to lose the innocence of youth.

Nikki Giovanni in Dreams aptly expresses the way all of us are born empowered. At birth the world is our canvas, which we are able to paint with our dreams. The possibility to do anything we wish with our lives is at our fingertips "In my younger years...I wanted to be a raelet." (Lines 1, 5-6) As a person matures they often modify their goals in life, becoming more "realistic" in their desires. "Then as I grew and matured I became more sensible and decided I would settle down and just become a sweet inspiration" (Lines 14-19) Modification of a dream often necessary….....

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