Can someone :
Read the following poem, Dreams, by Langston Hughes. Can you identify a metaphor in the poem
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.
The poem contains structurally simple metaphors which follow the formula a is b. These can be found in both stanzas. The first contains this line:
Life is a broken-winged bird
While the second stanza contains the following line:
Life is a barren field
Think about these questions and keep the notes. You will submit these at the end of the lesson.
• What is this metaphor referring to in this poem?
• How do these metaphors work in relation to the poem’s title, “Dreams?”
• How is this description different from saying simply that when dreams are unfulfilled life is difficult?
• How is it different from saying that a life without dreams is like a broken-winged bird? Would using a simile rather than a metaphor negate or weaken Hughes’ poem?
• What makes this an effective metaphor and why?
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