Dreams

The poem’s form is small and compact and its size belies the enormous message carried within. Hughes’s speaker doesn’t address a minor or secondary issue, but they illustrate the singular, essential importance of hope. As the chain of symbolism indicates, dreams symbolize hope, and hope represents the key to an active life. The short form of the poem contrasts with the crucial pertinence of hope, and the tension enhances the weight of dreams.

Due to the concise length, the speaker puts pressure on the reader to fill in the gaps. With a longer poem, the speaker can explain in detail the consequences of a hopeless life. The lyrical form makes the poem less didactic. While the speaker expresses the drastic consequences of losing hope, the reader must provide the context and draw conclusions from the two dispiriting metaphors. The form then turns the poem into a collaboration between the speaker and the reader.

The almost identical stanzas reinforce the wisdom and methodology of the speaker. The poem isn’t messy—it’s quite neat, and its organization reflects the speaker’s thought-out message. The meter furthers the exacting