Harlem Langston Hughes Analysis

“I was not looking for my dreams to interpret my life, but rather for my life to interpret my dreams.” Susan Sontag was an American writer, filmmaker, teacher, and political activist. She expresses how life and all of its conflicts can affect one’s dreams. What are dreams? In life, dreams can be experiences to look forward to, hard work at a job, or other things of the imagination. Dreams can also be something to hope for or to accomplish. Sadly, there are conflicts that can get in the way of someone reaching their dream. A person’s sex can give power or powerlessness, determine the expected behaviors of male and females, and judge a person’s appearance. In the works of To Kill A Mockingbird,

“A Dream Within a Dream,” written by Edgar Allen Poe, questions the complexities of reality using the juxtaposition of two situations that have the reader asking, “what is a dream and what is reality.” The poem consists of two separate stanzas that each portray a different scene, one of calm sadness and one of extreme desperation. Using each stanza and a variety of literary devices, Poe uses these scenes to lead readers to question reality and compare the experiences of each stanza.

In his poem, Hughes focuses on the prospect of what happens after dreams are delayed. He questions whether said dream “stinks like rotten meat, or crusts and sugars over— like a syrupy sweet,” describing how it could either spoil or age into something

In the poem, Hughes asks: "What happens to a dream deferred?

“Harlem [Dream Deferred]” by Langston Hughes may seem like an insignificant poem at first glance. It contains only 11 lines and the diction is simple enough, but it is much more profound upon further exploration and understanding. Hughes applies the theme of frustration and use of metaphor, simile, and imagery to express the important issues of this time. The community of Harlem was primarily black, and this poem articulates the struggle of these people during the Civil Rights Movement. People of this time were left with injustice and their dreams were very much deferred.

Langston Hughes uses his poem metaphorically to convey the idea of following one’s dreams. Take for example, “Life [without dreams] is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly”. Langston Hughes urges us to hold onto our dreams and to follow one’s aspirations. He compares this to a broken winged bird, for if we are comprised or held back by an obstacle, one cannot achieve their dreams. In comparison to a broken winged bird, one can always turn their life around. However a broken winged bird cannot simply heal their own wings. Another way of looking at this, is to realize a broken winged bird becomes useless as soon as it cannot fly. In a similar way, humans become useless or unproductive as soon as they stop chasing after that said dream.

In the poem shown above, titled “Dreams” by Langston Hughes, Hughes begins to discuss the value of dreaming. When we as people look at each other’s lives, we compare ours to every one else’s and forget about the fact that there are some people who would love to live ours. However, there is an alternative to comparing ourselves to other people. We can aspire to surpass their goals and what they have achieved or we can dream up our own and reach it. Otherwise, they get locked away in the back of your imaginations and are never to be seen again. As a result, no dreams made means no dreams achieved. In the poem, the author compares the death of a dream to life being a broken winged bird. Life as a broken winged bird is like having life but not

“Harlem”, also known as “A Dream Deferred”, is a poem by Langston Hughes published in 1951. The four stanza, free verse poem is composed of six questions and one declarative sentence. This poem reflects the post-World War II mood of many African Americans. The Great Depression and the war were over, but for many African Americans their dreams, whatever particular form it took, were still being deferred. Through this poem Langston Hughes examines the possible effects caused by the dream, when they are constantly deferred. As Hughes explores what happens when dreams are put on hold, the speaker uses a series of similes that compare the act of deferring dreams. To catch the reader's attention, the writer also made sure that specific words and questions stood out. As a result, the

Hughes uses many comparisons to convey a message in which he compares light to his dreams and darkness to the barrier that covers up his dream. For example, he says “break through the wall! Find my dream!,” meaning that he is trying to break this barrier in order to be allowed to see his dream again. Another metaphor that relates to his dream emerges when he states, “Into a thousand lights of sun, into a thousand whirling dreams of sun!.” He is using this to interpret that if he breaks through he can be in touch with his dreams again and nothing will stop him.

Langston Hughes was a Harlem renaissance poet. During the time he wrote the poem “Harlem (A dream deferred)” blacks faced prejudice and segregation. Their dream was to have equal rights in their constitutional right to peruse happiness. Langston

Hughes sets up a series of similes that compare the dream to various items that are rotten and burdensome. By doing this, he is showing the reader the costs of deferring a dream that is so deeply rooted in African-American culture as it dates all the way back to

Because of the unfairness each writer deals with, the quest for a better life is a central theme for each writer. The unjust and horrific ordeal that Hughes encountered when he was forced out of university prompted him to start writing poetry. The concept of dreaming of a better life reoccurs frequently in his poem Dreams: Hughes is using the metaphor of the broken winged bird to symbolise his feelings towards his life at that time. The message contained

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.

In this poem Hughes wrote about going through the struggles of an impoverished life and overcoming them. Hughes used various poetic devices to convey the hardships of life and how to keep going. In my essay I am going to contextualize the poem and expound on the use of symbolism and poetic moves used to convey the message of the poem. Symbolism is when mundane things are used to represent ideas and different emotions. The title of this poem is very important to discuss when analyzing this poem.

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