Dylan's "The Times they are a Changing", Hughes' "Harlem: A Dream Deferred", and Auden's "The Unknown Citizen", all investigate the themes of
human goals and the impact of
society upon these goals. This paper explains how Hughes's
poem provides an analysis of how the deferment of
life goals by society can result in great destruction to both the individual and society. It then shows how Auden's poem also looks at the loss of life goals, this time through the overarching control of a mechanized, soulless state and conformity. In contrast, Dylan's lyrics provide hope for the realization of dreams and hopes through social change.