As I Grew Older

Vocabulary

1.Shadow

7.Shatter (v)

10.Obstacle

2.Bright

8.Smash

11.Discrimination

3.Darkness

9.Whirling

12.Racism

4.Dim (v) to grow weak
Dim light

13.Struggle

5.Light

14.Segregation

6.Rise

15.Prejudice

16.Injustice

​צל

​בהיר. בוהק

​חשיכה

​בהיר. אור

​להתרומם. להתנשא

​למחוץ. לרסק

​לנפץ

​מכשול

​אפליה

​מאבק

​גזענות

מסתובבים במהירות​

הפרדה​

דעה קדומה​

אי צדק​

.נחלש/ מעורפל​

​As I Grew Older Langston Hughes - 1901-1967

It was a long time ago.

I have almost forgotten my dream.

But it was there then,

In front of me,

Bright like a sun,—

My dream.

And then the wall rose,

Rose slowly,

Slowly,

Between me and my dream.

Rose slowly,

​slowly,

Dimming,

Hiding,

The light of my dream.

Rose until it touched the sky,—

The wall.

Shadow.

I am black.

I lie down in the shadow.

No longer the light of my dream before me,

Above me.

Only the thick wall.

Only the shadow.

​

​My hands!

My dark hands!

Break through the wall!

Find my dream!

Help me to shatter this darkness,

To smash this night,

To break this shadow

Into a thousand lights of sun,

Into a thousand whirling dreams

Of sun!

Metaphors

The Shadow
- you can’t see a person standing in the shadow

-usually negative connotation

-“In the shadows” - when you are not recognized by
others

"shadow is like a compass always shows the way to the
light" ...

Metaphors

The image of light is a metaphor for the speaker's dream and him being
able to fulfill it. The image of darkness is a metaphor for the fact that he is
unable to fulfill his dream (because he is black.)

Metaphors

The wall

Images

1.

The dream that was ‘a long time ago’

2.

The sun, source of light, can be seen from afar

3.

The wall which blocks/ crushes hope

4.

The shadow/ light

5.

The dark hands