Sheila Jingga Ramadhani

(13020113120030)

In this paper, the writer wants to analyze a poem, entitled

“Dreams” written by Langston Hughes. The purpose of this

writing is to analyze the use of figurative language that very

dominant in this poem, personification and metaphor. The

other purpose is to analyze the extrinsict element that

involved in this poem about the importance of dreams.

“Dream” written by Langston Hughes is a poem that

has a magnificent meaning in life. He expresses his

ideas with beautiful words using figurative language

about the important of chasing our dreams in our

lives.

James Mercer Langston Hughes was born at February 1, 1902, inJouplin, Missouri. When he moved to Lincoln, Illinois, to live with hismother and her husband, Hughes began writing poetry. In November1924, he moved to Washington D.C. His first book of poetry, The WearyBlues, that was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926.

Hughes is particularly known for his insightful, colorful portrayals ofblack life in America from the twenties through the sixties. His life andwork were enormously important in shaping the artistic contributions ofthe Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. He refused to differentiate betweenhis personal experience and the common experience of black America.He wanted to tell the stories of his people in ways that reflected theiractual culture, including both their suffering and their love of music,laughter, and language itself.

Langston Hughes died of complications from prostate cancer in May 22,1967, in New York City. In his memory, his residence at 20 East 127th

Street in Harlem has been given landmark status by the New York CityPreservation Commission, and East 127th Street has been renamed“Langston Hughes Palace”.

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

Berpegang teguhlah pada mimpi

Yang tak mampu untuk terbang

Karena jika mimpi itu mati

Hidup bagaikan seekor burung bersayap patah

Berpegang teguhlah pada mimpi

Karena ketika mimpi itu hilang

Hidup bagaikan ladang tandus

Yang beku oleh salju

Personification means giving the qualities or abilities of a person (human) to

something or idea. Something or idea is made to think, do something, or fell

something like the human being do. In another meaning, personification means

“mempersamakan benda dengan manusia, benda mati dibuatdapat berpikir, dan

sebagainya seperti manusia.” (Rachmat Djoko Pradopo,Pengkajian Puisi,

1993:75).

The example of personification like in Mary Oliver’s poem, When Death Comes

:

“when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps the purse shut…”

In that line, Oliver uses personification to describe death does human activities to

have money and make a purchase to buy the soul of the speaker.

Metaphor is a kind of figurative language that indirectly compare things

essentially unlike. “In metaphor the comparison is implied- that is, the

figurative term is substituted for or indentified with the literal term”

(Perrine, Sound and Sense, 1963:65).

The example of metaphor like in Shakespeare’s poem, Sonnet 18 :

“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?”

In that line, Shakespeare uses metaphor to compare between love of the

speaker and the day in summer season.

Based on “The Interpretation of Dream” by Sigmund

Freud, dream is the subconscious message which is

abstract against the conscious mind. This message

contains desire, fear, and the other emotional activity,

until the emotional activities that completely

unconscious. The purpose of dream experienced by

human is the dream as the tool of satisfying or fulfilling

desires (wish fulfillment) from the encouragement of

natural instinct that can not be accepted by society, such

as aggression, violence, or sex encouragement.

For Freud, the logic laws that organized the conscious world

are not used when a person sleeps and enters into the dream

world. In the dream world, humans are free to roam and

adventure in the fantasy world without caring for the norm or

prohibition of human society, as when in the conscious

condition. This fantasy liberation is a way to the center of the

subconscious, where the dream becomes a key to the door of

the deepest desires of self.

Freud thoughts that humans are selfish animals who

have the aggressive encouragement and desire for

seeking pleasure. Then, humans learn to press that

animal encouragement when become an adult to be

able to adapt with the society. But we as a human

were never really able to conquer that primitive

instinct.

According to his book, the structure of human personality

consists of three parts :

"id" as animal self containing the nucleus of soul

"ego" as a rational self

"superego" as a representation of the pressure from the

community about what is right (the ideal ego) and what is

wrong (the conscience)

Self "id" has been formed since human were born, while

"ego" and "superego" form after the need of survive and

adapt with their social environment. "Superego" and "id"

often conflict each other.

“Struktur kepribadian id-ego-superego itu bukan bagian – bagian yang

menjalankan kepribadian, tetapi itu adalah nama dari sistem struktur

dan proses psikologik yang mengikuti prinsip – prinsip tertentu.

Biasanya sistem – sistem itu bekerja bersama sebagai team, di bawah

arahan ego. Baru kalau timbul konflik diantara ketiga struktur itu,

mungkin sekali muncul tingkah laku abnormal.” ( Alwisol, Psikologi

Kepribadian: Edisi Revisi, 2014:17

One of the psychologist named Carl Gustav Jung said that dream plays an

important role in the process of adjustment to build inner balance. With

this, dream can also become a teacher if there are some aspects of

personality that should be changed.

“Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly”

In the first stanza there is a personification in second line. That line is

personification because the poet gave the attribute of human being to the

dreams that dreams could die if dreams are not pursued seriously. The

fact is that dreams cannot die because it is an ambition or desire, not a

human being

“Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow”

In the second stanza there is a personification in second line

too. That line is personification because the poet imagined

that dreams could go if dreams are not pursued seriously. The

fact is that dreams cannot go everywhere like human being.

“Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly”

In the first stanza there is a metaphor in third line. That line

is metaphor because the poet compares between life and a

broken-winged bird if dreams are not pursued seriously. It

means that our lives can not reach our purpose to get our

happiness if we can not hold on to our dreams.

As mentioned in literary review above, the purpose of dreamexperienced by human is the dream as the tool of satisfyingor fulfilling desires (wish fulfillment). In this poem, Hughestells the reader about the purpose of dreams as the tools ofreaching happiness in life. This is mentioned in first stanza,

“Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly”

In that stanza, Hughes indirectly tells the reader about thepurpose of dreams to get happiness in life. If people do nothold on to their dreams, their lives will be like a broken-winged bird that can not reach and fulfill their desires anddestination in their lives.

“Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow”

In literary review too, it is mentioned that dream plays an important role inthe process of adjustment to build inner balance. In this stanza, Hughes tellsthe reader that life without dreams is like a barren field frozen with snow. Itmeans that life will be empty without dreams. If life is empty because peopledo not have any effort to reach their dreams, they do not have any lesson thatgot from reaching their dreams. From lessons that got from reaching dreams,people can change their personality if it is not suitable during reaching theirdreams. It means that if they do not have any dreams, they can not changetheir lives to be a better person because they do not have any lessons duringreaching their dreams.

Based on the discussion above, the author can get two

conclusions. The first conclusion that this poetry made by the

poet to encourage the reader to pursue their dreams,

ambitions, or desires. No matter the troubles comes, the

reader have to keep chasing their dreams. Because. If it’s too

late, life will be nothing.

The second conclusion, we can analyze that Hughes two

figurative languages to make the reader understands about

the important of reaching dreams. There are personification

and metaphore.

Alwisol. 2006. Psikologi Kepribadian. Malang: UMM Press.

Damon,P., Espey,J., & Mulhauser,F. 1966. Language Rhetoric and Style.

USA: Mc-Graw Hill.

Freud,Sigmund. 1900. The Interpretation of Dream.

Pradopo, R. D. 1993. Pengkajian Puisi. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada

University Press.

Perrine, Laurence. 1963. Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry.

New York: Harcourt, Brace World.

Wellek, Rene., & Warren, Austin. 1949. Theory of Literature. New York:

Harcourt, Brace and Company.

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