Similes In Harlem By Langston Hughes

Harlem (or “A Dream Deferred”) by Langston Hughes has many similes and instances of personification. The poem’s first simile is a question about what happens to a dream that is put on hold: “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun”. This comparison suggest that just as a raisin loses its physical substance, so too does a dream deferred lose its meaning. The “dream” that Hughes probably has in mind here is for African Americans gaining equal rights. The poem’s third simile occurs in lines 5 and 6:“Does it stink like rotten meat?”, and “Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet?” This comparison means that there are two sides to the opportunity, it could be a good one or a bad one. In the position of Hughes, he probably has in mind that opportunities