Today when people hear Harlem they run for cover. However, in the early 20th century, Harlem was a great opportunity for many black people in America. Unfortunately, because of overcrowding, exploitation, and poverty, their dream of a better life was delayed. Many poems written by Langston Hughes, an African American poet, reflect this situation. Hughes uses intense tone and diction to aid in the unearthing of the tribulations of the blacks in North America at the time period of the 20th century. These situations are most evident in the poems A dream deferred, and dream variation.…
Langston Hughes’s poem” Harlem”, ask a great question, what happens to a dream deferred? We start out early in our lives with an endless amount of dreams for the future. Dreams for ourselves and dreams on a global scale. As children we dream of being a fireman, a police officer, teacher, or an astronaut. On a global scale we dream of peace and equality. What becomes of those dreams when they are postponed and overdue?…
In the short story "The House on Mango Street" Sandra Cisneros unfolds her childhood memories where she and her family struggled with poor living conditions on the way to their own house, and she seems to suffer from it more than anyone of the family. When one day they finally get the house of their own and her family seems to be ready to settle with it, she continues suffering because it 's not the house she imagined and built up in her dreams. At that point Cisneros obtains her dream to be fulfilled: she decides that whatever happens, she must have her dream house. Whereas Cisneros talks about a dream 's birth, Langston Hughes in his poem "A Dream Deferred" investigates the destiny of a dream. Predicting what could happen to a dream that is not yet realized, he tries to measure the impact of a dream in our life. At first sight, these two works might seem completely different; however, upon a closer look it 's obvious that they are closely connected: Cisneros tells us what led her to obtain a dream, whereas Hughes contemplates on continuation of a dream 's existence.…
Dreams change whether we want them to or not, but how might dreams change if they are ignored? Langston Hughes describes a dream deferred in his poem, "Harlem: A Dream Deferred", "What happens to a dream deferred?”; “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" He compares a dream deferred to various concepts. In connection to the play, written by Lorraine Hansberry, "A Raisin in the Sun" the Younger family, an impecunious African-American family, struggle in achieving their dreams, having to postpone them. Although the Younger family each face the same challenge, character Walter Younger is unalike the rest as his dreams deferred impact his personality and his actions. I argue that Walter Younger best illustrates the central theme of Hughes’…
Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902 and died in New York City, New York on May 22, 1967. His father’s name was James Nathaniel and his mother’s name was Carrie Mercer Langston Hughes. His parents separated not to long after he was born. His father later moved to Cuba and later permanently lived in Mexico, where he lived the rest of his life working as an attorney and landowner. He eventually traveled to Mexico to visit his father who moved when his parents separated from each but luckily for Langston, within a few years of his visit to Mexico, he would find himself at the center of a cultural flowering in New York City's historically black neighborhood that is famously known as Harlem. Hughes's poetry…
In “Harlem”, Langston Hughes ponders about what occurs when one delays their dream. He discusses how it still remains in the back of your mind, and how unpleasant it is. Often times when a dream is not pursued, it is forgotten, and as a result, it lingers in the back of one’s mind.…
In the poem “Harlem” by Langston hughes i felt that it was very simple and easy to understand, being that it was written in the 1950’s and at that time it was a time where people(minorities) had a hope of being free and actually being able to live without any persecution being in the united states. and it was at a time where wwll was still in the hearts of many and would have been very odd that ameicans would go and help free another country beiong that their was still segregation in America and the army was still divided by race. which is supposed to be the symbol of freedom for all. during 1948, president Truman issued a order that allowed for people of any race , color or nationality. but this would not be put into action and did not change…
In his poem “A Dream Deferred,” Langston Hughes utilizes vivid sensory imagery and similes to explore the various phases of a dream deferred. Before I wrote my stylistic imitation, one of my friends suggested I look carefully at the historical context surrounding this poem’s publication. This poem was written right before the Civil Rights Movement, during a time when racial tensions were high in the U.S. and this got me thinking about movements today. Recently, there has been an increased awareness of the rampant police brutality in America, and as I was contemplating the historical context of my poem today, I immediately thought of the #BlackLivesMatterMovement today, which is why I titled my imitation “Matter.” Hughes lived in a society where the dreams of Black people for true liberty and equality were constantly de-valued. Similarly, today, it is clear that racism and systematic oppression still exists. While black and brown people are being shot down by corrupt police officials, these same officials are being acquitted of their crimes, and our cries for justice are not answered. This is what I tried to draw…
The poem “Harlem” tries to define what happens to a “Dream’s Deferred”. Foremost the poem explores the problems within trying to find the American dream by asking what happen to a dream over time. Nerveless, the poem has descripted imagery that can be interpreted to try to answer the question. The poem explores the problems with finding the American dream by asking questions that all interpret to what happens to those dreams that never come true.…
Langston Hughes was a predominant figure during the Harlem Renaissance. In Joplin, Missouri on February 1st of 1902, James Mercer Langston Hughes was born. His mother and father had separated, so the majority of his early life was spent with his Grandmother until she died. Langston’s passion for poetry began when he and his mother moved to Cleveland, Ohio. He would occasionally send in pieces of his poetry to many magazines, including his school’s magazine. After graduating from high school, Langston would then study at Columbia University for 1 year and would study poetry in many places such as Mexico and Paris. Through his poetry, Mr. Hughes wanted to highlight the black communities concerns and challenges that they faced during…
This poem expresses the general emotion of African Americans during the early 1900's. America has known as the land of opportunity, where dreams come true. However, for African Americans during this time, this was not the case. While technically free, racism, poverty, and social injustices abound, making it difficult if not impossible to actually achieve these dreams...thus, their dreams have been "deferred". This poem addresses that frustration, and ponders possible reactions from having your opportunities robbed. Do you give up? Do you become angry? Do you become complacent? To me, the last line is very powerful, because it refers to the fact that people can only be held down so long before they revolt, or "explode". In the Poem Harlem by…
Dreams are among one of the most essential things to acquire for the sake of purposeful individualistic achievements. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”. The hopes and aspirations that have been conjured by an individual serve as motivational forces that drive the person toward their goals. Thus, dreaming can be considered as one of life’s basic necessities. As the speaker in “Harlem” explores the outcomes of postponed dreams, various comparisons have been made throughout the poem in regard to basic, everyday tasks. The speaker utilizes similes that compare the deferred dreams to that of “[rotting] meat” (2.6.1019), crusting “syrup” (2.8.1019), and sagging “like a heavy load” (2.10.1019). These illustrations provide the reader with images of simple and ordinary tasks. Although carrying, eating, and cooking are insubstantial duties, they are necessary skills to make a living. With this, the speaker argues that dreams are a significant part of one’s life.…
The poem "Harlem" was written in 1951 by Langston Hughes and offers a theme in that of a warning: Those who cannot realize their dreams due to systematic oppression, will inevitably resort to violence. "Harlem" is a short, eleven line poem, consisting of three stanzas which are littered with literary and poetic devices such as imagery, italics, diction/syntax, figurative language, and rhetorical questions to name several. However, despite all the clever techniques Hughes deploys, his use of symbolism contributes most to defining, and clearly expressing, the poems main theme.…
The poem A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes basically describes what happens to dreams when they are put on hold. The speaker in the poem originally entitled it Harlem, which is the capital of African-American life in the United States. The title was changed to accommodate all dreams in general, and what happens when people postpone making them come true. The speakers attitude toward the poem is an advice-giving attitude. The poet doesnt want people to postpone getting what they want. The poem is written in an informative/caring tone to help people live the lives they dream of having.…
First, I’m going to be explaining about what the dream means to Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes has a good way with words. In the first paragraph he talks about how he wants America to be the dream that it was meant to be. Pretty much the way that I think Langston feels about America is that he believes that everyone should have the opportunity of the American dream and have equal rights. It’s saying that there are many people who’ve come here with hopes and dreams, and they’re being let down. He’s also saying that there is an economic disparity between people. In essence the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer because there is not equal opportunity.…