Dream+Deferred+By+Langston+Hughes

"Dream Deferred" By Langston Hughes **(Also known as "Harlem")** What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.

//Or does it explode?//



After reading the poem, please go to the discussion board and post your (brief) reaction to the poem under the thread titled "Initial Reaction."

Visit this link to read a brief biography of Langston Hughes: []

= **TIME** = __T__heme: The postponement of one's dreams negatively affects one's life. __I__magery: This poem is rife with similes and metaphors along with allusions, all of which are addressed below in **Analysis**. Hughes also uses some illiteration - "dream deferred" and "sugary sweet." Anaphora, the repetition of a clause or word at the beginning of a sentence, can be identified in this poem in the use of "Or" to begin a sentence at three different points in the poem. __M__eter: There is some rhyming in this poem ("sun" and "run," "meat" and "sweet," and "

__load" and "explode...oh yes.__
"). Some critics believe that Hughes wrote his poem with irregular line-length in order to make "Dream Deferred" jagged, allowing the lines to penetrate the reader's mind more effectively. Some metrical patterns can be found within the poem; for example, in every line except line 7, the final syllable is stressed. __E__motion: This poem encapsulates several emotions, including exasperation and exhaustion from the constant postponement of dreams and resentment because of this. The final line can be seen as threatening in nature.

=**Analysis:**= At first glance, this poem appears to be a simple discourse on the negative effects of the neglect of one's goals. Your interpretation may change, however, when you learn that Langston Hughes was an African-American deeply devoted to promoting pride in black heritage within his community. In this context, an astute reader can interpret the similes and metaphor as allusions to various occurrences in the history of African-Americans.

"__Fester like a sore-- / And then run__" - an allusion to slavery. It was common for masters to viciously whip their slaves, injuring them and leaving them with open wounds that went untreated and often became infected.

"__Stink like rotten meat__" - Hughes wrote during the Harlem Renaissance, a period lasting from the 1920s to early 1930s that was characterized by racial pride and the idea of using art forms (such as poetry) to raise African-Americans' standing in society. Despite the efforts of this movement, many blacks still lived in extremely indigent conditions in disintegrating neighborhoods. This meant that oftentimes due to lack of sanitation, these poor areas smelled badly, perhaps "like rotten meat."

"__Sags like a heavy load__" - This is another allusion to slavery. Slaves were employed in difficult physical labor.

"//__Or does it explode?__//" - Here, Hughes is is acknowledging the growing feelings of violence and resentment among his peers. He sees the anger that is smouldering, especially among young African-American males, and realizes where this will lead race relations. Hughes is predicting violence in the future, whether in the form of riots, bombings, or other "explosions," we cannot be sure, but we do know that Hughes can sense the aggressive undercurrents in African-American society. (This does not imply that Hughes condoned violent action as a result of race inequalities, simply that he recognized the existing threat.)

=**A Raisin in the Sun**= The imagery of this poem, specifically the raisin simile, inspired Lorraine Hansberry to write the musical //A Raisin in the Sun//. The play debuted on Broadway in 1959 and was the first Broadway production to be written by a black woman. Set in Chicago during the 1950s, //A Raisin in the Sun// follows the story of a black family about to receive a $10,000 insurance check from their grandfather's death. The grandmother, Mama, wants to buy the family a house, but the son, Walter, wants to use it to start a liquor store and the daughter, Beneatha, wants to pay her medical school bills with the money. After Beneatha becomes pregnant and Walter is swindled out of half the money by a friend, Mama decides to use the remainder to put a down-payment on the house. The family faces opposition from their new, entirely white neighborhood, but decides to move into the home anyway, and the end of the play leaves them renewing their commitment to pursuing their dreams. Below is a link to a trailer for the latest incarnation of the play, a telemovie starring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and the musical's Broadway cast. [|http://crackle.com/c/Movies_TV/Raisin_in_the_Sun/2103564/#ml=fc%3D19%26fp%3D1%26fx%3D%26o%3D9] Once you have watched the clip, please go to the discussion board titled "Raisin in the Sun" and answer the questions that have been posed. cas412 is a cutie.