The Spiritual Reunion with Africa
Although the speaker in “Dream Variations” does not directly state where his dream takes place, many critics suggest the "place of the sun" he mentions is Africa. Langston Hughes wrote this poem in 1924, a time when the Back to Africa movement was gaining traction, African art was being introduced to Europe and America, and numerous African Americans were searching for a unique cultural identity distinct from white American culture. Hughes had traveled to West Africa in 1923, and in many of his early writings, he used Africa as a symbol of an idealized land—a place of warmth and freedom that sharply contrasted with the cold, indifferent environment of the United States, where discrimination, racism, and harsh treatment were everyday realities for black individuals.
In the poem's first stanza, the speaker shares his dream. He finds himself in a sunlit place, with arms outstretched as he twirls and dances until the day concludes. By evening, he rests under a tall tree. The imagery of the sun, dancing, and a tall tree conjures an exotic, tropical paradise devoid of worries, where the spirit can be truly free. The second stanza amplifies these images. Both stanzas convey a sense that the dream's setting is both beautiful and primitive. If this place represents Africa, it symbolizes a land of joy and freedom, where the speaker experiences both spiritual and physical liberation. The positive mentions of "dark" and "black" also hint at a place where blackness is celebrated rather than criticized. For many African Americans, Africa was perceived as a spiritual homeland—a place of their ancestry where they could genuinely be themselves. In “Dream Variations,” this notion of Africa as a land of freedom, untouched beauty, and celebration is portrayed through the speaker’s contentment from dawn till dusk.
Although Hughes's early poems reflect a fascination with Africa as the spiritual homeland of American blacks, he later wrote in his autobiography, The Big Sea, that he abandoned this idea in the 1930s. The poems referencing Africa were more a reflection of the 1920s mood than his personal convictions. Hughes stated that he
did not feel the rhythms of the primitive surging through me, and so I could not live and write as though I did. I was only an American Negro—who loved the surface of Africa and the rhythms of Africa—but I was not African.
Nevertheless, in “Dream Variations” and other poems celebrating the ideal of an African homeland, Hughes captured a significant sentiment among American blacks who were seeking a spiritual home where they would be accepted and treated as equals, free from judgment based on their skin color.
The Dream Motif
The theme of dreams frequently appears in Hughes's work, and it is examined in different ways in “Dream Variations.” In his famous poem “Harlem” (1951), Hughes poses the question, “What happens to a dream deferred?” He implies that the dream of political freedom and economic success for African Americans is an essential part of the “American dream.” However, this dream remains unachieved due to widespread racism in American society. Through his social poetry, Hughes depicts black life and shows how African Americans' attempts to reach their dreams are continually obstructed.
Hughes also often refers to the romantic dream-fantasy in his poetry, where the speaker imagines ideal love, adventure, or spiritual release. This type of dream is more personal, symbolizing a desire for a state of being or consciousness that may not be achieved through political change but through personal imagination or awakening. In “Dream Variations,” the speaker seems to merge these two dream concepts. He envisions a place where everything is perfect,...
(This entire section contains 496 words.)
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an intensely personal and romantic vision. There are no direct mentions of political or social issues, as the speaker describes his personal dream where his soul finds freedom. Some suggest the speaker’s dream might be of Africa, a place where he feels happiness and belonging. Yet, it prompts the question of why the speaker dreams of such liberation. It is likely because his current life is devoid of freedom. In his dream, he dances and spins with joy, suggesting that such freedom is not possible in his reality. The entrenched racism in American society prevents him from realizing the “American dream,” compelling him to seek another kind of freedom elsewhere. Thus, in his personal dream-fantasy, the speaker longs for spiritual freedom, as his dream of freedom is inevitably “deferred” due to the impact of racism on his life as an African American.
One critic has proposed that the poem's structure, with nine lines in the first stanza and only eight in the second, represents the diminishing of the dream. According to this view, the speaker yearns for his dream and finds its embodiment in his love for nature, the place, and the sun. However, the dream exists only in the timeless moment captured in the lyric, while in the ever-changing world of social dynamics depicted in the second stanza, the dream fades away.
An alternative analysis of the poem provides a different viewpoint. It suggests that the initial stanza describes the dream using mental, logical, and conscious language, whereas the second stanza illustrates the speaker's actual experience of dreaming. The first stanza is detailed and structured, employing infinitives like “To dance” and “to whirl.” On the other hand, the second stanza is disjointed, elliptical, and more intense, mirroring the essence of dreams. This interpretation proposes that the poem delves into various mental experiences, transitioning from a logical, ego-centered state to an irrational, innocent, dreamlike one. These contrasting states highlight the struggle of black Africans with “double-consciousness” and imply that this duality can be harmonized.
The Celebration of Blackness
“Dream Variations” quietly honors blackness by portraying darkness and night in a favorable manner. The poem conveys its themes through subtle implications rather than direct statements. The speaker dwells in an imaginative world filled with love and tranquility, associating themselves with the “gentle” and “tender” qualities of the night. Mentions of “white” and “pale” are not intended as insults, implying that biases based on color are both unnatural and unfounded. Within the speaker’s vision, elements like white, pale, darkness, and night all merge to create a stunning scenery. Yet, the speaker feels a connection to night and darkness. In this dreamlike setting, night arrives gently and softly, inviting embrace rather than fear. By celebrating the night—the realm of dreams—the speaker also celebrates their own identity and heritage.
Dreams as a Dominant Theme
Throughout his illustrious career, Langston Hughes consistently explored the theme of dreams across his extensive body of work. Nearly every poetry collection he published features this recurring motif, suggesting that dreams may indeed be the central theme permeating his literary canon. One of his earliest pieces, “Dream Variations,” captures the essence of this thematic focus. In this poem, Hughes skillfully articulates a dream, weaving a tapestry of enigmatic duality that is both reflective and expressive of his own personal and artistic journey. Through such vivid representations, Hughes invites readers to engage with the profound and often complex nature of dreams, making them a cornerstone of his poetic expression.
Duality and Polarities
The poem encapsulates a duality that delicately intertwines day and night, light and dark, and white and black. It explores the polarities inherent in these elements, such as motion versus rest, and the dance between public and private performances. This duality is articulated through the recurring line, “That is my dream!” This statement acts as a pivotal point, highlighting the dichotomy present in the first half of the poem while anticipating its reflection in the latter half. The repetition reinforces the theme, offering a cyclical journey through contrasting experiences.
At the heart of this poetic exploration lies an enigma: the ambiguity of its central images. The whirling and dancing evoke questions about their symbolism. Do they transcend their literal meanings, or do they stand purely as expressions of the dream’s embrace of extremes? The poem challenges readers to ponder how such polarities can coexist harmoniously. It invites introspection, asking how one can reconcile internal and external oppositions, and what it means to inhabit a world where such extremes coexist not only in dreams but in reality itself.
Biographical Context and Racial Identity
Biographical insights often illuminate a poet’s work, offering glimpses into the complex tapestry of their personal experiences. Such is the case with Langston Hughes, whose life is vividly detailed in Rampersad’s acclaimed two-volume biography, The Life of Langston Hughes. Rampersad portrays Hughes as a "divided man" with conflicted emotions and attitudes concerning race, which can be a lens through which to interpret his poem, “Dream Variations.”
Hughes's heritage was a mosaic of contradictions, both genetically and ideologically. His lineage included radical abolitionists, both black and white, yet his father harbored deep-seated disdain for black people, a sentiment that extended to himself. This internal conflict was mirrored in Hughes's upbringing. He navigated between segregated and integrated environments, largely attending predominantly white schools in states like Kansas, Illinois, and Ohio. His academic journey was marked by excellence, yet his time at Columbia University, on the outskirts of Harlem, was characterized by discontent.
In Hughes's life, there was a palpable tension between the desire for acceptance and success in a predominantly white-dominated society, and an equally strong pull towards solidarity with black communities and their rich cultural heritage. This duality is not only reflected in his personal experiences but also echoes through his literary works, offering readers a deeper understanding of his inner struggles and aspirations.
Cultural Synthesis and Belonging
Written in 1923 during his first visit to Africa, Langston Hughes's "Dream Variations" captures the poet's initial exhilaration upon leaving the confines of the Western Hemisphere and stepping into a land he had long idealized. Hughes's journey to Africa, undertaken as a crew member on a freighter, was a venture into the unknown, feeding both his ambition and his imagination. Prior to this trip, Hughes had invoked Africa in his poetry, romanticizing it from afar. In high school, he likened a classmate to an Egyptian queen in "When Sue Wears Red," and soon after, in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," he traced his lineage through the waters of the Mississippi, Nile, Congo, and Euphrates. Yet, as he set foot on African soil, Hughes was confronted with a reality starkly different from his imaginings. The continent was less glamorous, marked by disease and exploitation, and its response to him was not what he had anticipated. His physical appearance led some Africans to label him as white, an identity he found disconcerting.
"Dream Variations" articulates Hughes’s longing for a sense of belonging, a yearning that spans across both his African heritage and his American upbringing. The poem, rather than reflecting a lived experience, presents a dream—a hopeful vision of cultural harmony. The repetition found in the second stanza introduces an element of wistfulness, where an underlying fear or anxiety becomes palpable. It is the anxiety of a young Hughes, twenty-one years old, contending with the complexities of identity and belonging in a world that seemed to resist such synthesis.
Hughes's dream was not merely a personal quest but an artistic endeavor—a vision of cultural synthesis that he sought to achieve through his work. This aspiration to bridge worlds and cultures through his poetry and writings would occupy him for the next forty-four years, guiding his literary journey and shaping his contributions to the cultural landscape. His efforts to actualize this dream were both a reflection of his internal struggles and a broader commentary on the potential for unity amidst diversity.