The consequences of a Dream Deferred In the poem “Harlem ( A Dream Deferred)” by Langston Hughes‚ he talks about dreams; dreams that society has‚ dreams that he has. Not a dream that you have while you’re sleeping but a dream that you have and want to pursue. He addresses the questions of what happens when a person’s dreams are destroyed. The author uses a lot of visual‚ descriptive language to try and show that nothing good can come from not achieving your dreams. For example‚ he compares not
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could then 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. Hughes wants to know "What happens to a dream deferred?"(1.1) He asks this question as an introduction
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with myself‚ trying to figure out my next step‚ I grew exhausted. I considered giving in to the cycle of low expectations. In contrast‚ as a kid I had dreams and bright ideas. I wondered what would happen to my dreams. Would they look like what the poet Langston Hughes wrote about in his poem‚ “A 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—
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Dreams are tools that can help people change their world in a positive or negative way. Hughes says‚ “Or does it explode?” (Hughes 11)‚ just like the first line of the poem‚ this final line is a question directed to the reader making another connection. Unlike the rest of the lines in the poem‚ this one is italicized making the reader pay more attention to it and gives it more meaning. Hughes uses the word “explode” in a way that it can be seen as both a harmful and a peaceful way‚ but is determined
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Dreams was written during the time of the Harlem Renaissance‚ by Langston Hughes. The poem maybe only 2 stanzas short‚ but Hughes was able to demonstrate the meaning behind the content. The main idea of the poem is dreams‚ but has no physical limitations. Hughes could mean hope‚ faith‚ or family‚ but it depends how the readers interpret it. During the period of the Harlem Renaissance‚ “Dreams” was most certainly important because Hughes was a black writer that wrote about the hardships they
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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. In the poem "A Dream Deferred"‚ Hughes uses an angry and serious tone. This anger elevates
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Langston Hughes was an American poet‚ social activist‚ novelist‚ playwright‚ and columnist. Hughes was one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. Hughes was a man who wanted other people to chase their dreams. F. Scott Fitzgerald was an American and story writer‚ whose works illustrate the Jazz Age. They both were outstanding individuals who were important to America and was known for their great work. Hughes poem‚ “Harlem” and Fitzgerald short story‚ “Winter Dreams” both spoke
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conclusion can be made that not following your dreams can create some emotional distress. The poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes in 1951 projected a similar theory asking the question “What happens to a dream deferred?” After reading the poem I began to question a lot of the dreams I have had to push aside or forget about. As a fan of Langston Hughes I believe the poem is meant to create a positive image about creating a dream and pursuing that dream until it becomes reality. The poem
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“Hold fast to dreams‚ for if dreams die‚ life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” Langston Hughes‚ a prominent literary figure in the early twentieth century‚ once wrote this in his poem “Dreams.” Being a young black man in Great-Depression-era America‚ he knew well what it meant to have a dream broken by social and economic issues. To his advantage‚ he was fortunate to possess a strong voice to express his and his people’s opinions. In his poetry‚ Langston Hughes wrote of twentieth-century
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In “Dreams” by Langston Hughes‚ metaphors help convey the meaning of the poem and add to the power of it. He starts off in the imperative mood‚ telling people to hold on to their dreams (line 1). The use of the phrase “hold fast” in connection with the word “dreams” shows that Hughes is using the word “dream” to mean hope and will-power for the future—not the kind of event that takes place in the mind when we are sleeping. Then‚ he transitions to the conditional (“if”) of a dream being lost (line
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