The Poetry of The Poetry of Langston HughesLangston Hughes

““Mother to Son”Mother to Son”

““Dreams”Dreams”

““A Dream Deferred”A Dream Deferred”

Essential Question #1Essential Question #1

How can readers distinguish between a How can readers distinguish between a poem’s author and a poem’s speaker?poem’s author and a poem’s speaker?

The poet is the poem's author; he/she is the The poet is the poem's author; he/she is the physical writer of the poem. The poem's speaker is physical writer of the poem. The poem's speaker is

the voice that speaks the poem's words--the the voice that speaks the poem's words--the individual who is presenting the idea through the individual who is presenting the idea through the poem. Sometimes, they are the same, but most poem. Sometimes, they are the same, but most often, they are not. In many cases, the poem's often, they are not. In many cases, the poem's speaker is not obvious and is considered to be speaker is not obvious and is considered to be

unknownunknown..

Langston HughesLangston Hughes1902-19671902-1967

►Major poet during Major poet during

Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance►Writing focuses on Writing focuses on

themes related to the themes related to the

African-American African-American

experienceexperience

““Mother to Son”Mother to Son”Facing Life’s ChallengesFacing Life’s Challenges

►What kind of problems do people What kind of problems do people experience?experience?

►What kinds of barriers are difficult for What kinds of barriers are difficult for them to overcome?them to overcome?

Copy the chart in your notes. As you Copy the chart in your notes. As you read, record your inferences about the read, record your inferences about the

speaker.speaker.

In order to In order to understand the understand the

speaker of a poem, speaker of a poem, you need to make you need to make inferences –logical inferences –logical

guesses or guesses or conclusions- based conclusions- based

on clues in the on clues in the poem.poem.

ClueClue InferenceInference

The title is The title is “Mother to “Mother to Son”Son”

The speaker is The speaker is a woman.a woman.

SOAPSSOAPSTitle of Poem:Title of Poem: “Mother to Son” “Mother to Son”Author & Facts: Author & Facts: Langston HughesLangston Hughes► had a difficult lifehad a difficult life► wrote during the Harlem Renaissancewrote during the Harlem RenaissanceSubject: Subject: keep trying to overcome life’s struggleskeep trying to overcome life’s strugglesOccasion: Occasion: personal experience of life in Harlempersonal experience of life in HarlemAudience: Audience: general audience; other African general audience; other African

AmericansAmericansPurpose: Purpose: to encourage readers to keep trying in to encourage readers to keep trying in

lifelifeSpeaker: Speaker: a mother is speaking to her sona mother is speaking to her son

Essential Question #2Essential Question #2

Why do writers use figurative language Why do writers use figurative language like similes and metaphors in their like similes and metaphors in their

poetry?poetry?

Writers use metaphors and similes to Writers use metaphors and similes to invite the reader to make a comparison invite the reader to make a comparison between two unlike things and to note a between two unlike things and to note a

surprising characteristic they share. surprising characteristic they share.

““Dreams” and “A Dream Dreams” and “A Dream Deferred”Deferred”

Think about goals you have set for Think about goals you have set for yourself but are not sure you can yourself but are not sure you can

achieve. How does the possibility of achieve. How does the possibility of failure make you feel? What if someone failure make you feel? What if someone told you that you told you that you couldn’tcouldn’t achieve your achieve your

goals and dreams?goals and dreams?

““Dreams” and “A Dream Dreams” and “A Dream Deferred”Deferred”

► The poem “Dreams” warns of what happens The poem “Dreams” warns of what happens when goals fall by the wayside.when goals fall by the wayside.

► The poem “A Dream Deferred” illustrates The poem “A Dream Deferred” illustrates what could happen if you choose to put off what could happen if you choose to put off your dreams or procrastinate.your dreams or procrastinate.

► As you read, think about how the speaker’s As you read, think about how the speaker’s advice might influence their outlooks toward advice might influence their outlooks toward their futures.their futures.

Post-ReadingPost-ReadingText to Text ConnectionText to Text Connection

►What similarities do you see between What similarities do you see between the poems “Dreams” and “A Dream the poems “Dreams” and “A Dream Deferred”?Deferred”?

►How are the poems different?How are the poems different?

Use evidence from the poems to Use evidence from the poems to support your answers.support your answers.

SOAPSSOAPSTitle of Poem:Title of Poem: “Dreams” “Dreams”Author & Facts: Author & Facts: Langston HughesLangston Hughes► Wrote during the Harlem RenaissanceWrote during the Harlem Renaissance► Wrote about African-American life themesWrote about African-American life themesSubject: Subject: keep trying to achieve your dreamskeep trying to achieve your dreamsOccasion: Occasion: personal experience personal experience Audience: Audience: general audience; other African general audience; other African

AmericansAmericansPurpose: Purpose: to show you cannot live to your full to show you cannot live to your full

potential if you let your dreams diepotential if you let your dreams dieSpeaker: Speaker: unknown narrator-possibly poetunknown narrator-possibly poet

SOAPSSOAPSTitle of Poem:Title of Poem: “A Dream Deferred” “A Dream Deferred”Author & Facts: Author & Facts: Langston HughesLangston Hughes► Lived a hard lifeLived a hard life► Knew that many African Americans felt dreams Knew that many African Americans felt dreams

were the only thing they hadwere the only thing they hadSubject: Subject: warning to people to not give up on warning to people to not give up on

their dreams or wait until later to achieve themtheir dreams or wait until later to achieve themOccasion: Occasion: personal experience personal experience Audience: Audience: general audience; other African general audience; other African

AmericansAmericansPurpose: Purpose: to deny your dream is to deny your to deny your dream is to deny your

hope for a better futurehope for a better futureSpeaker: Speaker: unknown narrator-possibly poetunknown narrator-possibly poet

Follow-up: Life LessonsFollow-up: Life Lessons

Choose one of the three poems by Choose one of the three poems by Langston Hughes.Langston Hughes.

In your notes, write the life lesson that In your notes, write the life lesson that can be gained from reading this poem. can be gained from reading this poem. Briefly describe the poem to help Briefly describe the poem to help support your choice of lesson.support your choice of lesson.