As I Grew Older

Catalogue

• picture…………………………………………………………   p.2
• The Poem …………………………………………………………..3_15
• message to langston hughes…………………………………… p.16
• My Dream……………………………………………………………. p.17
• Theme and message………………………………………………… p.18

As I Grew Older – Poem by Langston Hughes

It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
In front of me,

Bright like a sun—

my dream

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.
I lie down in the shadow.

No longer the light of my dream before me,
Above me.

Only the thick wall.
Only the shadow.
My hands!
My dark hands!

Break through the wall!
Find my dream!
Help me to shatter this darkness,
To smash this night,
To break this shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun,
Into a thousand whirling dreams
Of sun!

About The Author

James Mercer Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was a young child, and his father moved to Mexico. He was raised by his grandmother until he was thirteen, when he moved to Lincoln, Illinois, to live with his mother and her husband, before the family eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in Lincoln that Hughes began writing poetry. After graduating from high school, he spent a year in Mexico followed by a year at Columbia University in New York City. During this time, he held odd jobs such as assistant cook, launderer, and busboy. He also travelled to Africa and Europe working as a seaman. In November 1924, he moved to Washington, D. C. Hughes’s first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, (Knopf, 1926) was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926. He finished his college education at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania three years later. In 1930 his first novel, Not Without Laughter, (Knopf, 1930) won the Harmon gold medal for literature.

Message to Langston Hughes

Hi Langston Hughes you are a good poet I advice you to write a lot of this poems that prevent the racism the prejudice and discrimination and to reach to all the world that nothing can prevent some one from achieve his dream and to be like you despite all the obstacles that was in youre way you never give up and achieved youre dream and to reach to the people that think if someone have a black skin or Different religion gender its not the end of the world and that not Justifies the racism .

My Dream

Every one of us have a dream and he want to achieve it .

I have a lot of dreams but some of my dreams to be a doctor and to learn doctor in  Romania when Iwas a kid my dad told me what do you want to be in the future  I answered him doctor and  From that time im convinced that in the future I will be a Successful doctor  not like the rest of the doctors today im At sixteen years old when I told my parents that I will learn a doctor in romania the  Refused and told me you can learn a doctor in isreal (my country)

but I convinced them to accept.

The Message And The Theme Of The Poem 

The theme of the poem is the negative effects of racism prejudice and discrimination.

The message of the poem is that must take action against an unjust society we have to rely on ourselves to over come prejudice.