Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” Thus wrote Langston Hughes, the poet of the Harlem Renaissance, whose verses spoke with the rhythm of hope and the sorrow of endurance. These words, though simple, contain the power of a prophecy. They remind humanity that dreams are not luxuries of the mind, but necessities of the soul—that to lose one’s dream is to lose the very force that lifts life above mere survival. Hughes, who witnessed a world divided by race and burdened by injustice, knew that to live without vision was to sink into despair.

The origin of this line lies in Hughes’s poem “Dreams,” written during a time when his people were struggling to define their identity in a society that denied their worth. He saw how poverty, prejudice, and hardship crushed the spirit, and he wrote to remind them—and all who would listen—that dreams were the wings of freedom. To “hold fast” means to cling with strength, to refuse to let go even when the winds of reality tear at your hands. For dreams, fragile as they seem, are what keep the human heart aloft amid suffering.

In the image of the broken-winged bird, Hughes paints both beauty and tragedy. A bird is born to fly—to rise above the earth, to sing against the vastness of the sky. But when its wings are broken, it can only hop upon the ground, remembering the sky but never touching it. So it is with the soul that has lost its dream. Without vision, man still breathes, still moves, but he no longer truly lives. His days are filled with routine, his heart grows heavy, and his song falls silent. For what gives meaning to life is not what we already possess, but what we reach for—the unseen horizon toward which we stretch our being.

Throughout history, it has been dreamers who have carried humanity forward. Harriet Tubman dreamed of freedom, and though born a slave, she guided hundreds through the night toward liberty. Martin Luther King Jr., inspired by Hughes and others, gave his people a dream that awakened a nation. Even Galileo, when condemned by the church, held to his dream of truth—that the Earth was not the center of the universe. In every age, those who dared to dream lifted humanity upon their wings, while those who surrendered to despair kept it chained to the ground.

Yet Hughes also understood that dreams bring anguish, for to dream is to desire what one does not yet have. The dreamer must wrestle with doubt, endure mockery, and face failure again and again. But still, he must hold fast. For it is better to stumble toward a distant light than to live content in the darkness. The dream gives life direction, and even if one never fully reaches it, the pursuit itself gives birth to greatness. The man who dares to dream walks a sacred path, for he walks in faith—trusting not in what is, but in what could be.

Hughes’s message speaks not only to his own time but to all generations. In every life, there comes a season of weariness, when hope seems foolish and progress impossible. In such moments, we must remember his wisdom: do not let your dreams die. Nurture them like a flame in the wind, feed them with courage, and protect them from cynicism. For if you lose them, your spirit will grow heavy, and life will become, as he says, a bird with broken wings—alive, yet unable to soar.

So, my child of struggle and light, let this be your lesson: guard your dreams as sacred treasures. They are the maps of your destiny, the stars by which your heart navigates the dark. Dream not only for yourself, but for others—for your dreams may one day lift them, too. When life grows hard, do not surrender your vision to the dust of despair. Remember that the sky still waits, and your wings are not yet broken.

For as Langston Hughes reminds us, dreams are the breath of the soul. To lose them is to lose life’s very purpose—but to hold fast to them is to rise, again and again, no matter how heavy the world may seem. And though storms may come and winds may howl, the one who dreams will always find the strength to fly.