I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.
Langston HughesRead
Good morning, daddy! Ain't you heard The boogie-woogie rumble Of a dream deferred? Listen closely: You'll hear their feet Beating out and beating out a - You think It's a happy beat? Listen to it closely: Ain't you heard something underneath like a - What did I say? Sure, I'm happy! Take it away! Dream Boogie Hey, pop! Re-bop! Mop! Y-e-a-h!
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the tension between hopeful dreams and the reality of deferred aspirations.
Langston Hughes' poem expresses the struggles and resilience of individuals whose dreams have been postponed or unfulfilled. Through lively imagery and rhythmic language, it portrays both the joy and underlying pain of a community that yearns for the realization of their dreams, ultimately suggesting that even amidst hardship, there is a unique rhythm of hope and aspiration that continues to resonate.
Themes
DreamsAspirationHopeResilienceLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about pursuing dreams despite setbacks, this quote can illustrate the importance of resilience.
More from Langston Hughes
All quotes →My writing has been largely concerned with the depicting of Negro life in America.
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I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course. Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.
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An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.
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The calm, Cool face of the river, Asked me for a kiss
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The only way to get a thing done is to start to do it, then keep on doing it, and finally you'll finish it.
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