What becomes of deferred dreams: “Harlem” In “Harlem‚” by Langston Hughes‚ the speaker wants the reader to consider the dangers of postponing their dreams. Through similes of imagery‚ he emphasizes the importance to consider dreams to be as real as flesh and vital as food. “Harlem” is a free verse poem consisting of eleven lines‚ which are broken into four stanzas. In the first stanza‚ the speaker offers a question‚ “What happens to a dream deferred?” which has infinite many answers. In stanzas
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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
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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
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Dream Deferred A dream is a goal in life‚ not just dreams experienced during sleep. Most people use their dreams as a way of setting future goals for themselves. Dreams can help to assist people in getting further in life because it becomes a personal accomplishment. Langston Hughes’s poem "Dream Deferred" is speaks about what happens to dreams when they are put on hold. The poem leaves it up to the reader to decide what dream is being questioned. In the opening of the poem the speaker uses
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Walter Lee Younger: Selfish to Selfless Lorraine Hansberry portrays the revolution of black’s consciousness through the play‚ A Raisin in the Sun‚ by introducing the Younger family to readers. This play takes place in a poor black neighborhood in Chicago’s Southside in the 1950s where the Younger family struggles with racial discrimination and finding their true dreams and goals. Like most literature‚ this play has a clear protagonist‚ but Hansberry also uses an anti-hero‚ a flawed character who
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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
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cannot get ahead in life. Walter Lee Younger is a man who is frustrated with his current position in life‚ and every disappointment he has encountered thus far. Although he tries to be a loving man‚ sometimes he does not know how to show the idea of love‚ "Sometimes...sometimes...I don’t even know how to try" (Hansberry 89). His position in life can be regarded as symbolic of every black male struggling to provide for his family by any means necessary. Although Walter has a job‚ it seems inadequate
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Environmental Reflection of Truth In the poems Harlem “A Dream Deferred” and Theme for English B by the poet Langston Hughes‚ uses descriptive physical concrete metaphors to convey the themes of longing for an identity as a whole amongst his peers and acknowledgement as an American. Although race and ethnicity has played an integral role of separation and segregation‚ the speaker’s tone empathetically questions ones will of wanting to achieve a pestering dream‚ as well as calling to the attention of the American
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money is the only salvation. Stuck in a place where only the rich can enjoy the privileges of life‚ my father‚ and Walter Lee Younger can only dream of one-day striking gold. Not long ago were they dreamers among the masses‚ eager to try something new. Once an oyster‚ now a boulder‚ the world seems to open its doors only for the select few and close them for those who dream. Like Walter‚ my father also witnesses the men downtown‚ "...sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars… sometimes
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Aisha Craig Professor Campbell English 112-07 September 19‚ 2014 The American Dream Deferred Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun is titled after a line in Langston Hughes’ 1951 poem‚ Harlem (A Dream Deferred). Back in the 1950’s‚ African Americans were oppressed by the belief of the principle ‘separate but equal’ and because of this system‚ many African Americans perceived their claim on their ‘American dream’ was ‘deferred’ or forced to be put off. Hansberry’s play is set in Chicago’s Southside. It
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