There are countless times growing up where you stop for just a second and remember random things. These memories serve a very special purpose, because the things you do in life make you the person you will become. Today, many authors and poets use their memories and experiences in their work to reflect on their lives, raise awareness, or simply to tell a story. As a prominent contributor to the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes was an inspiring poet who shed light on many aspects of African American urban life through reflections on his own life and experiences. As a writer, poet, and prominent activist in the civil rights movement, Langston Hughes was a man not only inspired by the world around him, but who also used that inspiration to motivate others. As he was also one of the most influential writers of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes held poetry demonstrations as a way to inspire and strove to be the voice of his people and the force of helping the dreams of many move forward. The idea of ​​whether or not to pursue a dream is addressed in one of his poems where he asks "What happens to a dream deferred?" (Langston Hughes, Dreams Deferred). The writing style of this poem uses the use of questions to get the reader to really think about a dream that is not being pursued. In a sense, Hughes is trying to paint a picture that dreams that people don't fight for eventually disappear. He uses this as a tactic to hopefully inspire others that dreams are worth fighting for and that without them, what would we live for? The underlying link that connected all of Hughes' work was achieved through his dedication to achieving a certain dream. . The end of this poem refers to a possible equality between blacks and whites and as this equality is in place, whites should realize that blacks are humans too and they will be "ashamed". Shame could also refer to African Americans being ashamed of the injustice they have suffered. The repetition of the first line of the poem as well as the last line of the poem with the addition of the word “am”. This shows that it is now about the present because the “am” in this context is dynamic. This speaks in favor of the oppressed African American race. Through the analysis of Langston Hughes' poetry, one can see how he constantly recounts his experiences as well as those of African Americans during this time period to highlight points of oppression, inequality, and loss of dreams ( the american dream).).