Langston Hughes's 'Dreams' Test

Which best states the central idea of Hughes’s 'Dreams'?

• Dreams are distractions from reality.

• Dreams are essential; without them, life loses meaning.

• Only some people need dreams.

• Dreams always become reality.

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In the poem, what does Hughes compare to a 'broken‑winged bird'?

• a lost opportunity

• a life without dreams

• a bird that cannot fly

• a child's imagination

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The second stanza compares life without dreams to:

• a field of flowers

• a barren, frozen landscape

• a noisy city

• a warm home

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The poem’s tone is best described as:

• playful and humorous

• urgent and cautionary

• sarcastic and mocking

• indifferent

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The word 'hold fast' in the line 'Hold fast to dreams' most nearly means:

• let go quickly

• hold tightly and refuse to lose

• break easily

• forget

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CCSS.RL.7.5

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Which poetic device is used when Hughes writes about a 'broken‑winged bird'?

• hyperbole

• metaphor

• consonance

• alliteration

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How does the poem’s short length (two brief stanzas) contribute to its meaning?

• It makes the poem confusing.

• It emphasizes the urgent, simple message about keeping dreams.

• It shows the poet ran out of ideas.

• It hides the main theme.

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CCSS.RL.7.5

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Which line best supports the idea that dreams give life purpose?

• Life is a broken‑winged bird

• Without dreams life is a broken‑winged bird

• Hold fast to dreams

• For when dreams go

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CCSS.RL.7.5

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The poem’s repetition of the phrase 'Hold fast to dreams' primarily serves to:

• create a musical rhyme

• emphasize the importance of keeping dreams

• confuse the reader

• introduce a new idea

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Which inference is best supported by the poem?

• Dreams are unimportant in hard times.

• Losing dreams can make people feel hopeless.

• Dreams will always come true if held fast.

• Only children need dreams.

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CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.5

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