Search results
By Langston Hughes. 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? Langston Hughes, "Harlem" from The Collected Works of Langston Hughes.
- Langston Hughes: “Harlem
“Harlem” is not just a poem about the American dream or the...
- Langston Hughes: “Harlem
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?
Jan 15, 2016 · Also commonly known as ‘Harlem,’ ‘Montage of a Dream Deferred’ is a book-length poem that speaks about the lives of Harlem residents who are not experiencing the “American Dream,” but instead are having their dreams deferred.
The motif of the dream – a favourite Langston Hughes trope – is central to the poem, as Hughes plays off the real world with the ideal. But his ‘dream deferred’ is also recalling the American Dream, and critiquing the relevance of this ideal for African Americans.
“Harlem” is not just a poem about the American dream or the dreams of African Americans. Rather, it reimagines the city at the center of “the long history in which black global dreams have foundered on the shoals of America’s racial dilemma,” in Nikhil Pal Singh’s memorable words.
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.
People also ask
Why did Langston Hughes write 'Dream Deferred'?
What is a Dream Deferred?
What does the poem 'Harlem' a Dream Deferred mean?
What influenced montage of a Dream Deferred?
Nov 8, 2023 · 'Harlem' (A Dream Deferred) is one of a number of poems Hughes wrote that relates to the lives of African-American people in the USA. The short poem poses questions about the aspirations of a people and the consequences that might arise if those dreams and hopes don't come to fruition.
