Harlem Langston Hughes
Harlem by Langston Hughes is one of his most famous poems he has ever written. I chose this poem because it shows the struggle African Americans faced in the 1920s and early 1930s. This poem represents what can happen to a dream if it is not chased after and is forgotten. Langston Hughes uses metaphors, imagery, and format to guide the reader to the message behind the poem. This poem is a free verse and an irregular meter poem. It is made almost entirely of questions. The questions are asked in a way that makes the reader think, allowing them to come to the conclusion Langston Hughes is wishing for them to reach. Rhymes occur 3 times in the poem, from the end of line 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 10 to 11. The meaning of the inconsistency could possibly
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The first metaphor is about a dried up raisin in the sun. “Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun?” Grapes turn into raisins as they are left in the sun. Raisins are still edible and still bare small resemblance to a grape, although it has lost all of its juice or life. The line means does the dream shrivel up like a raisin would and lose its liveliness. Following the metaphor of a dried up raison is the imagery of a festering sore. “Or fester like a sore-/ and then run?” When something festers it is not healing or being cared for properly, it suggests a dream deferred won't heal or go away. Most importantly there is the metaphor of crystalized syrup. “Or crust and sugar over-/ like a syrupy sweet?” The appearance is not appetizing, yet someone with a trained eye recognizes the possibility of making the “syrupy sweet” edible again. Syrup never goes bad. There are two things that can happen. It can have mold growing on the top. This can be easily dealt with by straining it out. It can also crystalize, but this can also be dealt with by heating the syrup up to a high temperature. Either way it can always be fixed and then used again. Just like how with a dream as long as you put in some hard work a dream deferred can be brought back to
The first metaphor is about a dried up raisin in the sun. “Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun?” Grapes turn into raisins as they are left in the sun. Raisins are still edible and still bare small resemblance to a grape, although it has lost all of its juice or life. The line means does the dream shrivel up like a raisin would and lose its liveliness. Following the metaphor of a dried up raison is the imagery of a festering sore. “Or fester like a sore-/ and then run?” When something festers it is not healing or being cared for properly, it suggests a dream deferred won't heal or go away. Most importantly there is the metaphor of crystalized syrup. “Or crust and sugar over-/ like a syrupy sweet?” The appearance is not appetizing, yet someone with a trained eye recognizes the possibility of making the “syrupy sweet” edible again. Syrup never goes bad. There are two things that can happen. It can have mold growing on the top. This can be easily dealt with by straining it out. It can also crystalize, but this can also be dealt with by heating the syrup up to a high temperature. Either way it can always be fixed and then used again. Just like how with a dream as long as you put in some hard work a dream deferred can be brought back to