Langston HughesHarlem : A Student's Response

Are dreams really dreams if they are never pursued? One may always think that dreams are pursuable but never considers what happens if dreams are disregarded. We all have hopes and dreams for the future but imagine not being able to achieve those dreams and become constantly denied from simple things such as your own rights. Have you ever thought about how postponed dreams can impact your life? The upsetting question of "what happens to a dream deferred?" is one taken seriously by Langston Hughes, an American poet. Since this poem was written in 1951, many African Americans were limited to achieve the "American Dream." Striving for equality and freedom was still in action for African Americans; their hopes and dreams were constantly denied, seeming unattainable. In "Harlem (A Dream Deferred)," Hughes explores the possible consequences of unfulfilled dreams to demonstrate what might happen if dreams are ignored and kept from society. I will prove this potential destructive effect of unattainable dreams

Langston Hughes was one of the first black men to express the spirit of blues and jazz

     People always listen to music, watch movies or plays, and even read poetry without once even thinking what is could be that helps and artist eventually create a masterpiece. Often times, it is assumed that artists just have a “gift”, and people just do not consider the circumstances and situations that gradually mold a dormant idea into a polished reality. This seems to be the case with nearly every famous actor, writer, painter, or musician; including the ever-famous Langston Hughes.

James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was very small, and his father (who found American racism made his desires to be a lawyer impossible) left the family and emigrated to Mexico. Hughes' mother moved with her child to Lawrence, Kansas, so she and he could live with his grandmother, Mary Langston.

The short but inspirational poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes' views on deferred dreams.

Langston Hughes inspired others to reach their true potential in their work by using their own life as a catalyst:

In our journey through life, we all have certain expectations of how we would like our lives to be. All of us strive to reach a certain level of self-actulization and acceptance. It could thus be said that all of us live a dream. Some of these individual dreams inevitably become the collective dream of many people. In "Harlem (A Dream Deferred)", Langston Hughes makes use of symbolism as well as powerful sensory imagery to show us the emotions that he and his people go through in their quest for freedom and equality. By using questions he builds the poem towards an exciting climax.

Langston Hughes, the author of the “Dream Deferred,” had a difficult childhood because of family issues they had. His parents divorced when he was born; his father move to Mexico, Langston and his mom had to move in this Langston’s grandma (The Life and Work of Langston Hughes). Growing up with only one parent is very hard and makes for several changes. One of those challenges was having hope for the future because the times were not favorable to black.

When you think about African American poets, you likely think of the great poet Langston Hughes. Hughes was an African American poet who wrote a vast number of poems about the struggles African Americans encountered during his life. Hughes was a very educated and well respected man. He attended both Columbia University and Lincoln University. Many considered Langston a great factor in the Harlem Renaissance.

“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

Langston Hughes is considered by many readers to be the most significant black poet of the twentieth century. He is described as ³...the beloved author of poems steeped in the richness of African American culture, poems that exude Hughes¹s affection for black Americans across all divisions of region, class, and gender.² (Rampersad 3) His writing was both depressing and uplifting at times. His poetry, spanning five decades from 1926 to 1967, reflected the changing black experience in America, from the Harlem Renaissance to the turbulent sixties. At the beginning of his career, he was surrounded by the Harlem Renaissance. New York City in the 1920¹s was a place of immense growth and richness in African-American

Hughes would remind the audience of this difference between pay no attention to dreams and getting rid of them altogether and we are reminded that a deferred dream is not a canceled dream. Then Hughes would change your perception of a deferred dream when he makes you think of sweet-tasting things that would crust or sugar over like honey and candy stirring up the taste buds and drawing a gap between the bitterness of a lost

Dreams are hopes that people hope to accomplish in their lifetime. When trying to achieve these goals, people are willing to do anything. But, what happens when a dream is deferred? A dream pushed aside can disappoint a person in the deepest way. It is likely to spread throughout their thoughts and becomes a burden. In the poem “Harlem,” Langston Hughes, through literary devices, introduce a strong theme through a short amount of language Hughes is asking what happens to a dream that is being put off.

According to Biography, James Mercer Langston Hughes is considered to be an African American poet who is college educated and comes from a middle-class family (Langston Hughes Biography). He attended college in New York City and became influential during the Harlem Renaissance (Langston Hughes Biography). Although Hughes was a talented writer, he faced some challenges early on and it was stated that his “early work was roundly criticized by many black intellectuals for portraying what they thought to be an unattractive view of black life” (Langston Hughes. American Poet). They believed that his work helps the spread the stereotypes of African Americans. “Hughes, more than any other black poet or writer, recorded faithfully the nuances of black life and its frustrations” (Langston Hughes. American Poet). Langston Hughes’s poems “The Negro Mother”, “Let America be America Again” and “The Weary Blues” were influenced by his life during the Harlem Renaissance and the racial inequality experienced in the late 1920s through the 1960s.

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement and the enlightenment of black minds as a whole. This movement sparked the minds of many leaders such as Marcus Garvey, W.E.B Dubois, and Langston Hughes, these men would also come to be known as the earliest Civil Rights activists. While Garvey and Dubois expressed their views in speeches and rallies Hughes had a different approach and chose to articulate his thoughts and views through literature more specifically poetry. Through his poetry, Hughes became a world renown poet for such works as “Let America Be America Again”, “Harlem” and “I Too” taken from his first book “The Weary Blues.” These poems while written and inspired by the everyday struggles of being an African-American were arguably targeted at white Americans. Hughes wrote a majority of his work during the Harlem Renaissance and as a result focused on “injustice” and “change” in the hopes that society would recognize their mistake and reconcile, but in order for this to happen he would have to target the right audience.