Harlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem Essay

The poem Harlem Sweeties by Hughes reflects the post World War II state of mind of many African Americans. The Great Depression was over, the war was over, yet for African Americans the dream, whatever particular shape it took, was all the while being deferred. Whether one's dream is as mundane as hitting the numbers or as noble as planning to see one's children reared properly, Langston Hughes takes them all seriously; he takes the deferral of each dream to heart. The whole poem is worked in the structure of rhetoric. The speaker of the poem is black poet. Black people were given the dreams of equity and equality. Be that as it may, these dreams never came true. Despite legal, political and social consensus to abrogate the apartheid, black people would never experience the indiscriminate society. In "The Harlem

During the Harlem Renaissance, many look towards big cities to pursue their dreams. Langston Hughes, a famous poet, knew how important dreams were and he saw dreams crumble during his times. Dreams are a big deal in life because people set dreams to give themselves hope. When their dreams crumble, their spirits die as well because they have nothing else to strive for. In Harlem, Hughes uses vivid imagery and similes to illustrate how dreams deferred upset and defeat the human spirit inside one’s self.

It gives us an example of the resentment that is growing. People are getting more inflamed emotionally, just like the wound gets worse if not treated. It draws a clear parallel between people's emotions and the images of the sore. Just as an untreated sore will not heal, but get more infected, a deferred dream will not go away, but become more intense. A wound that gets worse will eventually start to smell bad. Hughes compares this to rotten meat. "Does it stink like rotten meat?" This image creates the idea that unrealized dreams will bring out the worst in men. It also means that for some the realization of their dreams will become less attractive.

Hughes placed a particular emphasis on Harlem, an area in New York that was predominately Black, which became a Mecca for many hopeful blacks in the first half of the 1900's. Hughes has a theme in most of his poetry, in other words his writing style was to write poetry that is called "dream deferred". His use of a "dream deferred" focus in several poems paints a vivid picture of the disappointment and dismay that blacks in America faced in Harlem. Furthermore, as each his poems develop, so does the feeling behind a "dream deferred," his words make the reader feel the growing anger and seriousness even more at each new stanza.

In the poem “Harlem [2]” written by Langston Hughes, the poet uses the image, “or maybe it just sags, like a heavy load,” to portray the miserable feeling of a dream being deferred. By using the imagery, “or maybe it just sags, like a heavy load,” it introduces the idea of how depressing and impossible it is when a dream is put aside Line (8,9). The poet’s example of imagery portrays how hard it is to complete an aspiration that has been forgotten after years of holding back on a dream. Using the word “sags,” the poet is able to introduce to the reader how lifeless, and miserable having to give up on a dream, or wish of theirs. Just like a pile of very heavy weights on your shoulders making it impossible to do anything with their body, a dream deferred puts a lot of pressure on that person which puts a pause to enjoying their own life.

A dream is a goal in life, not just dreams experienced during sleep. Most people use their dreams as a way of setting future goals for themselves. Dreams can help to assist people in getting further in life because it becomes a personal accomplishment. Langston Hughes's poem "Dream Deferred" is speaking about what happens to dreams when they are put on hold. The poem leaves it up to the reader to decide what dream is being questioned. This poem was created during a time of need, and during a time of frustration for people of color. Civil rights and freedom were questioned, but African American took the oppression they faced and created an event in history known as The Harlem Renaissance. This paper will discuss how Langston Hughes’ influences

In the first 5 lines, he asked what happens to a “dream deferred”. You may think that they would just simple fade away, but he uses more imagery to make it seem like much more. He also asks if it dries up, symbolizing what happens to your dreams if you postponed them. Then he says they fester like a sore, making me think about a sore that won’t

Guilt, shame, remorse, regret, sadness, anger, and wonder are all likely possibilities; however Hughes uses analogies such as ‘fester like a sore’ and ‘crust and sugar over’ to show the reader what happens to dreams that are not lived out to their potential. By having the reader compare sores and stinking meat to the failure of dreams not sought out, he sends the reader’s thoughts to disappointing results. In a few words Hughes gives a pep-talk to his readers, encouraging them to pursue any and all their dreams, which are not to ever be wasted. With Harlem being the title of this poem, it’s easy to see how this vision of not letting go of your dreams was directed at the Harlem community. Harlem was the hub of African American residency, culture, and art.

The poem by Langston Hughes is a short poem, with only eleven lines. This poem was written 1951 when African Americans where still racially segregated and where still facing prejudice as well as economic hardships. The speaker, not clear if male or female makes correlations of the outcome of the “dream deferred”. He or she wonders if it dried up, festered, or is stinking up, crusting over, or exploding.

People often give up on a dream due to others saying they can't or aren't allowed too. In the poem Harlem By Langston Hughes the first line states “What happens to a dream deferred?” To me this means, what happens to the dreams? Where do they go? In A Raisin in the Sun, the characters all had hopes and dreams and a lot of them got told that they wouldn't happen or that they are allowed to happen. In all honestly, I believe that dreams never go away, they are reworked. The second line of the poem says “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” This relates to the book not only because of the name but because of the means. The dreams these people had at some point were going no where, they were dried up and shriveled.

Before the Great Depression, Harlem was known as symbol of freedom and music to young African American families looking for a dream away from Jim Crow Laws. I sat as kid on steps of the old brownstones that was once a vibrant ambiance but now are left littered with crack vials. The poem used imagery to describe a dream that was deferred from my people. Langston was symbol of hope of his time much like Maya Angelo was to me. Both used the pain and suffering of the ghetto to express

“Dream Deferred,” more commonly known as, “Harlem,” was written by African-American poet Langston Hughes in 1951. Hughes used familiar themes and subjects in contrast to his fellow poets that used obscure lines that focused only on a small audience. These themes mainly consist of the Harlem Renaissance and the creation of jazz poetry; both of which were linked to the inequality that was happening in America. He wrote this poem to show the inability of African-Americans to achieve the “American Dream.” This influenced Langston Hughes to use similes and alliteration to illustrate the thought process that one may experience when their dreams are not fullfilled.

Poetry is a platform used to express emotions, ideas, and style. Poets take inspiration from their background and past experiences to eloquently formulate their thoughts. Langston Hughes was no exception. Famous for his contribution to the embracement of African American culture in America during the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes began forming his thoughts into poetry early in his life. From growing up in segregated American and his involvement in the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes accounts the celebration of African American culture as well as the fears and struggles, including his own, faced by black people in America, as well as social criticisms through poems of sophisticated yet relatable simplicity.

The simple metaphorical questions are informative and curious switching from being curious about the dream being bad as “rotten meat” to being good “like

“A dream is a wish your heart makes”, says the infamous song. No truer words can describe what a dream is than those mentioned once upon a time. The poem Harlem (Dream Deferred), is a short poem written by Langston Hughes after World War II, after the Harlem Renaissance. Countries were forever tainted with blood, many struggled to move on and soldiers lacked any real sleep. It was a time far different than the current century with people being more racially divided than ever. Outrageous acts against humanity were committed because of race. It was a never ending struggle for equality and justice for both women and for race. Also, it was the time of the Civil Rights Movement in America, where African Americans peacefully claimed their rights