Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes: Similes
Similes – Dream Deferred
Writing Assignment
Name: Brandon Long Date: 6/27/11
Read the Langston Hughes poem "Dream Deferred" again:
Dream Deferred
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-- and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags like a heavy load
Or does it explode?
Look up definitions for the words defer and fester and write them down.
Identify the five similes Hughes uses in the poem. Explain three of the similes starting with the pattern below. What images and feelings do each simile create? Write at least three sentences about each simile.
Begin writing here:
1. A dream deferred is like a raisin in the sun because . . .as a raisin dries up in the sun, a dream that gets put off or deferred can wither and die.
2. A dream deferred is like a syrupy sweet because . . . a dream that gets deferred could get sweeter with time as we look forward to the realization of the dream.
3. A dream deferred is like heavy load because . . .a dream that is deferred can begin to feel like a millstone around your neck. As time goes on, and you are unable to fulfill the dream it can begin to look bigger than it actually is.
4. A dream deferred is a fester like a sore because …the longer a dream is deferred one can start to resent the fact that it has not yet been realized. Therefore it can start to fester and become a detriment to the individual.
5. A dream deferred stinks like rotten meat because . . . This simile is similar to the festering, however the longer a dream is deferred the more it can rot the other dreams an individual has.
Student Expectations
Exemplary (16-20 points)
The student shows a thorough understanding of the concept of similes. The words defer and fester are defined. The five similes are correctly identified. Quality responses are given regarding the images
Writing Assignment
Name: Brandon Long Date: 6/27/11
Read the Langston Hughes poem "Dream Deferred" again:
Dream Deferred
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-- and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags like a heavy load
Or does it explode?
Look up definitions for the words defer and fester and write them down.
Identify the five similes Hughes uses in the poem. Explain three of the similes starting with the pattern below. What images and feelings do each simile create? Write at least three sentences about each simile.
Begin writing here:
1. A dream deferred is like a raisin in the sun because . . .as a raisin dries up in the sun, a dream that gets put off or deferred can wither and die.
2. A dream deferred is like a syrupy sweet because . . . a dream that gets deferred could get sweeter with time as we look forward to the realization of the dream.
3. A dream deferred is like heavy load because . . .a dream that is deferred can begin to feel like a millstone around your neck. As time goes on, and you are unable to fulfill the dream it can begin to look bigger than it actually is.
4. A dream deferred is a fester like a sore because …the longer a dream is deferred one can start to resent the fact that it has not yet been realized. Therefore it can start to fester and become a detriment to the individual.
5. A dream deferred stinks like rotten meat because . . . This simile is similar to the festering, however the longer a dream is deferred the more it can rot the other dreams an individual has.
Student Expectations
Exemplary (16-20 points)
The student shows a thorough understanding of the concept of similes. The words defer and fester are defined. The five similes are correctly identified. Quality responses are given regarding the images