Figures of speech
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?
This poem by Langston Hughes uses a variety of figures of speech to convey the idea of a dream that is delayed or unfulfilled.
1. Simile: "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" - Comparing a deferred dream to a raisin drying up in the sun.
2. Simile: "Or fester like a sore—And then run?" - Comparing a deferred dream to a sore that festers and oozes.
3. Metaphor: "Does it stink like rotten meat?" - Comparing a deferred dream to rotten meat, suggesting it becomes unpleasant and repulsive.
4. Simile: "Or crust and sugar over—like a syrupy sweet?" - Comparing a deferred dream to something that crusts over and becomes overly sweet.
5. Metaphor: "Maybe it just sags like a heavy load." - Comparing a deferred dream to a heavy load that weighs a person down.
6. Imagery: "Or does it explode?" - Creates a vivid image of a dream finally being realized with explosive force.
Overall, these figures of speech help to paint a picture of the various ways in which a dream deferred can manifest and eventually impact a person.