3. As I Grew Older
 |
| Langston Hughes |
Questions & Answers
1. “Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams go, Life is a barren field frozen with snow”. How did Langston Hughes hold fast to his saying’ as he grew older ?
Langston Hughes was an African American poet. His literature is filled with the problems of the black people in America. Here in the poem” As I Grew Older’ he expresses his agony towards the life of the black people. In his childhood, the poet did not know the problems of life and so he had a dream of his own. As he grew older, he was aware of the wall of race standing before him. But he was steady in his trials, to make the dream true. It is true that one has to hold fast the dreams. It they are gone, life is but frozen. The poet knew this and he wanted to pursue his ambition. There was darkness around. He could not enter the brightness of the Sun, it he could not break the wall of race. So he tried to throw away the obstacle and get the light of a thousand Suns. A number of dreams were realised by him and his life became fruitful.” Everyone must have a dream in life and must try to fulfill it.
2. What is the theme of the poem “As I Grew Older” ?
Langston Hughes wrote the poem ‘As I Grew Older’. He was an African American poet. He produced a lot of literature. His literature is filled with the problems of the black people in America. ‘As I Grew Older, is an aspiration of this poet for his dream.
In the former days, the poet could not understand the problems around. As days pass by, things started to come before him. A big wall had grown between himself and his dream. It was the obstacle of race discrimination. The darkness of this wall, threw him into the shadow. Beyond the wall there was the bright light of the Sun. He wanted to break down the wall. The barrier of his race discrimination was so powerful that he could not easily do away with it. But in the heart of hearts, he had a belief. Without a dream, life is worthless, without achieving the dream, one could not survive in the world. The poet used powerful language to break the evil of the society. He wanted to smash the wall into pieces. He thought that his effort would give him spiritual strength. He wanted to prove it through his efforts.Thus the poet presented a poem, which enthused the reader-towards superior ambitions. His dream was realised.
Annotations
1. It was a long time ago. I have almost forgotten my dream. In front of me ……. / Bright like a Sun – My dream.
Context: These lines are taken from the poem “As I Grew Older” written by the Black Poet Langston Hughes. The poem is filled with the revolting aims of the black people in America. His former views about his dream are given here.
Explanation: Here the poet pointed out how he had a dream in his earlier days. The dream at that time was most encouraging. He did not know the original circumstances around. There were many obstacles for a fairplay. The main problem was the racial discrimination. He was not aware of these real conditions. So he thought that his dream was the most valuable one. But as days passed by, there grew a great wall between himself and his dream. The innocent times of the poet were remembered by him and he laughed at himself for his ignorance.
General relevance: A dream is everybody’s right. But it could be achieved only by strenuous effort. There are impediments but one has to realise the dream fighting against the obstacles. Here the wall of race came in the way of the poet, in realising the dream.
2.And then the wall rose, Rose slowly, slowly, Between me and my dream. Rose until it touched the sky – The wall. Shadow. I am black.
Context: These lines are taken from the poem “As I Grew Older” written by the Black Poet Langston Hughes. The poem is filled with the revolting aims of the black people in America. His former views about his dream are given here.
Explanation: The poet who was a great aspirant for freedom, pointed out in the lines, the greatest obstacle, in the life of American black people. The poet had a dream in his earlier days and he did not see any problem in achieving it at that time. As days passed by the mind had ripened and the practical problems came up before him. There was a great wall of racial discrimination between the poet and his dream. It was so great a wall that its height was beyond his reach. Americans had a fascination for race and this had grown at every nook and corner of the country. There was a fierce battle over this problem. The poet had to withstand the problems. He was kept in the dark. He had to come out. But he was a black by race. Yet, the efforts from all sides of the society, the unbeaten will of the black people in America, it was smashed and the wall had no existence at all.
General relevance: The poet spoke about the facts around. He being a black man, had to fight against this discrimination. Things were favourable and the barrier was thrown away. Here the indomitable will of the poet is praise worthy.
3.To break this shadow Into a thousand lights of Sun, Into a thousand whirling dreams / of Sun !
Context: These lines are taken from the poem “As I Grew Older’ written by the Black Poet Langston Hughes. The poem is filled with the revolting aims of the black people in America. His former views about his dream are given here.
Explanation: The poet had an impediment on his way to realise his dream. It was as big as a wall touching the sky. The wall was there between the individual and his dream. The person was left in its shadow. There was no other go except to yield to the circumstances. He could not strike the wall and so he could not go into the light of the Sun. But, the person had a decisive mind. He knew that the problem was strong. But he smashed the walls of race. He broke it into pieces. There was no trace of it actually the race discrimination was thrown away from the country through the effects of great leaders like Abraham Lincoln. The poet waited patiently, put his energies into the struggle and finally got it. This the bright light of thousand suns shone over the thousand dreams of the aspirants.
General relevance: The problem was very powerful. The people suppressedి were many. But there was a great struggle. Everyone participated in it. The poet got his dream succeeded because, he had a decisive mind.
Reading Comprehensions
1. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
“I say to you today, my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream…. I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.” – On 28 August in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke these immortal worlds to a crowd of over 2,00,000 people who had gathered for the now historic march on Washington to demand an end to racial segregation in the USA, and for equality in jobs and civil rights.
Now answer the questions
1.What sort of discrimination did the speaker fight against ?
Racial discrimination.
2. What were his dreams ?
He had a dream that the nation will live up to the true meaning of it, the former slaves and former slave owners sit together at the table. That there should be recognition for character but not the colour of the skin.
3. The speaker used rhetorical technique of repetition in his speech. Find the phrase repeated in the passage.
‘I have a dream’.
4. Who is the speaker ?
Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.
5. Locate the word in the passage which means ‘ a person who shows discrimination against people of other races.
Racist
2. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :
The architects of the Indian Republic hoped that, as secular ethos took roots, democratic institutions spread and a secular-scientific outlook consolidated itself, the Indian society would outgrow the evil of caste system. This did not happen. What has happened is that the India of our dreams began to undergo a radical re-definition. Our republican dreams are being revised. A political engineering to perpetuate caste domination has gained gradual ascendancy over the liberal-secular ideal of an egalitarian society. This has happened by default. Today there is widespread cynicism on whether or not the war against caste in winnable. Experiences spread over five decades of nation-building leave us in no doubt that the evil of caste system will not wither away, unless the war against it is joined in a tactical and practical way. Concrete measures have to be adopted and implemented; foremost among them being inter-dining and inter-marrying. (Source : THE HINDU Thursday, Dec 13, 2001)
Now answer the following questions
1. What did the architects of the Indian Republic hope ?
That the Indian society would outgrows the evil of caste system.
2. A society characterized by social equality and equal rights for all people is known as …………
Egalitarian society.
3.What are the concrete measures mentioned in the passage to curb caste system?
Inter dining and inter marrying.
4. What happened to our republican dreams ?
Began to under go a radical re-definition.
5. Write the antonym of the word ‘secular’.
‘Religious’.
Summary in English
James Mercer Langston Hughes belongs to Black poetry. He was an African American poet. His literature belongs to the black Americans who had been suffering because of race discrimination. Here in this poem, we understand the aspiration of the poet to be free from the obstacle of race.
The poet had a dream in his childhood and it was pleasant for him. He did not know that there was the black cloud, spreading over his dream. Slowly, he know that the barrier was very huge. He could not easily get the dream successful. He thought that it was his own dream because it belonged to him and to his black people. He was looking forward for the light from the Sun.
He was black in colour and so the obstacle still strengthened. The wall had to be broken. His strength had to be utilized to face the problems. Society tried to suppress him but his ambition was more powerful. He had an encouraging tone in his dialogue. He could shatter the wall between himself and his dream.
When the shadow was broken, when the darkness of the night disappeared, his heart was leaping with joy. As he grew older, his effort led him towards many dreams along with his first one. Thousand lights of the Sun, shone bright on his face. He grew older and became a successful individual. Thus the inner most values had been expressed by the poet. He grew older and became a winner.
