Review of Langston Hughes' "Harlem" (or "A Dream Deferred") Poem

To start with, here I will give “A Dream Deferred” analysis by briefly reviewing this poem. The The poem “Harlem” (and its also known as “A Dream Deferred) was written to obviously talk about the actual place Harlem where African Americans were mocked and denied in society. The dream that Hughes refers to could be any type of dream but given that he wrote this poem in the 1950’s during the Harlem Renaissance, it probably refers to the dream of freedom, equality, and dignity. In “Harlem” he writes about how minority groups have fewer opportunities to realize their dreams when he asks, “what happens to a dream deferred?” He does not provide personal information in “Harlem”, but because it is known that the pow is about deferred or unrealized dreams and the title is “Harlem” we can infer that Hughes believes that people who live in Harlem see their dreams thwarted more often then general, non-minority population. The speaker wants the readers to consider the dangers of postponing their dreams. Through smiles of imagery, he emphasizes the importance to consider dreams to be real as flesh and vital as food. For example, in lines two and three “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” When things dry up, they lose their moisture, writhe away and die. The speaker is stressing the importance to continue to pursue your reams or they will die”.

The poem “Harlem” starts with a prompt. Its like Hughes is responding to a question or assignment. In Harlem the prompt is a question: “What happens to a dream deferred?” The poem portray the racial injustices and the complications of identity with African Americans. The exploration of abother Hughes' poem “Theme for English B” is the appropriation of one’s own narrative that has convergent elements from the cultural majority and one’s own specific experience. This same exploration happens in “Harlem: when Hughes analyzes the results of narratives whose dreams have put aside. At the same time, both poems

Langston Hughes was an extraordinary poet, who had a strong sense of racial pride. He promotes equality, condemned racism, and injustice. His use of similes, metaphor and symbolism in his poems can leave readers wondering but reinforces the vivid imagery in the two sonnets. In “Harlem” the poem is shorter and uses more figurative language. This poem deals with belonging and how to fit or not fit in within a hostile society.