“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?
"What happens to a dream deferred?" Do you agree with the author? Explain your answer.
My answer is I say dreams deferred are still dreams they do not have to be labeled as failure. In some cases deferring a dream can be a bigger blessing than a dream coming true.
Is my answer good enough?
This poem is not talking about the dreams you have while you sleep. It is talking about the "dreams" you have for your future, what you would like to achieve, where you would like to go, who you would like to become.
It is asking when these dreams don't come true as quickly as you would like, what happens. Do you just forget about the dream? Does the dream just go away?
Does it become something that makes you unhappy when you think about it?
Actually it's true! I'm sure you've heard "be careful what you wish for!"
Sra
P.S. However, if you were to speak to the tone of the poem, or the poet's attitude, look again at the depressing words: dry up, fester, stink, heavy load. What is the answer, just considering the poem?
Sra
It seems like it is asking in the beginning of the poem that, does the raisin dry up like when you wake up in the morning and forget about the dream you had. As the day goes by, you think about that dream and wonder if you're going to be able to finish it tonight. And when it starts to go back to sleep, but you can’t get back to that one dream, it's like a stink like rotten meat. I can’t come up with anything else about the poem for the rest of the lines.
Thank you both so much!
You should also read up on Langston Hughes (the poet) and the era referred to as the Harlem Renaissance. You will understand these writers and their works much more if you understand when and where they were writing.
Hughes: http://www.google.com/search?q=langston+hughes&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en___US357
Harlem Renaissance: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en___US357&hs=kEU&q=harlem+renaissance&aq=0&aql=&aqi=g10&oq=harlem+re
Your answer provides a personal perspective on the question, which is valid. However, it does not directly address whether or not you agree with the author's viewpoint. To evaluate whether your answer is good enough, let's first analyze the author's viewpoint in the poem.
In "Harlem" by Langston Hughes, the author presents a series of questions that explore the consequences of deferring dreams. The poem suggests that when dreams are postponed or delayed, they can have negative and destructive effects. The use of vivid imagery, such as comparing a deferred dream to a raisin drying up, a sore festering, or rotten meat stinking, gives the reader a sense of disappointment and decay.
To determine if you agree with the author, you should consider whether you believe that deferred dreams have negative consequences. Do you think they lead to frustration, resentment, or even explosive outcomes? Or do you believe that deferring dreams can still have positive outcomes and not necessarily lead to negative consequences?
Once you've established your stance on the author's viewpoint, you can explain your answer, incorporating your personal beliefs and experiences in relation to the topic of deferred dreams.