summary of poem As I grew older
Answers
Answer:
The speaker starts by describing a dream he used to have a “long time ago” that he has since nearly forgotten. Back then, however, it was right in front of him, bright like a “sun-dream.” A wall rose up slowly between the speaker and his dream - it rose and rose until it touched the sky. The wall is a shadow.
The speaker proclaims, “I am black.” He lies down in the shadows, which prevent the light of the dream from shining on him. All he can see is the “thick” wall and the shadow.
He cries, “My hands! / My dark hands!” He wants to break through the wall and find his dream; he wants to break apart the darkness and “smash” the night. He wants that shadow to break apart into a “thousand lights of sun” and “a thousand whirling dreams / of sun!”
hope it helps
As I grew older Summary
The speaker begins by depicting a fantasy he used to make some "long time ago" that he has since almost neglected. In those days, nonetheless, it was directly before him, brilliant like a "sun-dream." A wall ascended gradually between the speaker and his fantasy - it endlessly rose until it contacted the sky. The wall is like a shadow.
The speaker declares, "I'm black." He rests in the shadows, which keep the illumination of the fantasy from radiating on him. All he can look at is the "thick" wall and the shadow.
He cries, "My hands! /My dark hands!". He believes that shadow should fall to pieces into "thousand lights of sun" and "thousand whirling dreams/of sun!"
Hughes intentionally involves the image of a shadow as a method for realizing his personality's obscurity, in light of the fact that the speaker's race is the hindrance that is holding him back from accomplishing his dream.
#SPJ3