Answer:
Delay, sadness, and dreams are the core themes of the poem because Langston Hughes as an African American poet often brought up issues relating to his race and social justice into his works. He is asking what would happen if people like him were unable to reach their dreams. It's hard for a reader to quite imagine the weight of not being able to accomplish their goals in this given time and through his imagery Langston, wants to show the potential pain and suffering.
Explanation:
Langston Hughes often wrote about the inequalities he faced or that others like him faced, this poem can work as a poem about African Americans and more broadly about inequality. For a long amount of time his people have had to face harsh inequalities and the social pressures felt can be staggering.
His body of work often centers on talking about inequality as seen in "I, Too, Sing America" and also "Page for English B". He also wrote "Dreams" and "Mother to Son"
"Mother to Son" is a great example of how inequalities affect a generation and a generation before it in my eyes.
Using any knowledge of Langston Hughes' previous work might help you in phrasing your answer if your class in particular has covered him before.
