9/13/11
Cassie Seidel
What’s in a Dream?
Pine Point School
English Class

           Happiness is not always the key to a person’s heart. Instead, it could be a dream, or it could be a dance. It could also be what happens when that dream or dance does not become real. However, the togetherness of these two things might make up something totally new, or it could make up a terrible disaster.

           The song “For a Dancer” by Jackson Browne can be related to “A Dream Deferred”, a poem by Langston Hughes in many unique ways. The lyrics “the world keeps turning around and around go on and make a joyful sound” can relate to “A Dream Deferred”.  “A Dream Deferred” is all about what would happen to a dream that didn’t become a reality. The only thing is, most people’s dreams don’t turn into a reality, instead they wither like a raisin in the sun. Another similarity is they both have a dream. Langston Hughes’ dream was to become a better nation, and he didn’t want that to be changed, and Jackson Browne’s dream was to see his friend dance again. However, Jackson Browne’s dream was deferred, and Langston Hughes dream became a reality. The hurt that these two artists must have gone through was a lot. However because of the hurt these two have gone through, the world and I can hear beautiful literary work. Theses two things have so much in common, but can they relate to my life?

           There are many ways that these two pieces of literary work can relate to my life. In the song “For a Dancer” by Jackson Browne, the lyrics, “Keep a fire burnin in you soul,” say something about life. I always have trouble being the peppy girl that I am, and sometimes I just want to slow down. However, I know if I slow down, I will no longer be myself and do what I love to do. If I can, “Keep a fire burnin in my soul,” I will never have to worry about the flame going out. Also, the poem “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes really tells a story about life. “What happens to a dream deferred?” I believe that it could explode, if that person doesn’t do anything about it. If that person tries harder and harder for that dream to become a reality, it just might come true. However, even if it doesn’t, that person will know that they tried hard and it was worth trying. Both “A Dream Deferred” and “For a Dancer” have something in common with life, and that is hurt. In “A Dream Deferred” it talks about the hurt of a dream that never comes true, and in life, dreams don’t come true every day. In “For a Dancer”, it talks about the life of a man who had just died. Hurt can be shared in every day emotions, and no one can trust hurt.

           Although these two pieces of literary work don’t have many things in common, one thing that they do resemble is hurt. Everyone hurts at one point or another, its just how people deal with hurt. Some people deal with hurt by writing a song, or a poem, but some people cannot cope and do terrible things. No matter what, do not let “A Dream Deferred” take you on the wrong road to becoming a dancer.