Dreams

     I really enjoyed reading and studying Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes.  After I read it the first time I thought about dreams in general.  However, when I learned that the author was a black American, my understanding of the poem changed.  I realized that the author must have went through a lot as a black person living in America.  I became more aware of Hughes' thoughts and dreams, and it became more apparent that he had to put his dreams to the side. I also thought that maybe it was just a way to respond to what was going on during the time period. He says that "maybe it just sags like a heavy load"(Hughes).  It must have been hard for Hughes to realize that maybe his dreams would never come true and that they would just always be on his mind.  My understanding of the poem deepened because I could in a way understand his struggles.  Realizing that he is a black American helped me to connect the words more to his life.  Through his use of similes I understood how hard it was for him not to follow his dreams and have to put them off. Although as a whole the poem is a little cliche, finding out that the author was a black American really changed my understanding of the poem.