What does it mean if a dream is deferred?

Hughes begins his poem with a question. “What happens to a dream deferred?” The word, deferred, in this context means that it is put off or delayed indefinitely.

What is an example of a dream deferred?

Literary Element Examples in “A Dream Deferred”
“Does it stink like rotten meat?” “Does it dry up / Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore– / And then run?” “Maybe it just sags / Like a heavy load.”

What might a deferred dream lead to?

What happens to you when you defer a dream? Depression, PTSD, loss of hope to name a few. When you’re forced to give up on your passion or give it up under duress, it can cause physical changes to your brain. Your neurotransmitters change, the signals within the brain and to the rest of the body change.

What five things does he compare A Dream Deferred to?

Series of Similes
A dream deferred is compared to a raisin, a sore, rotten meat, a syrupy sweet and a heavy load.

What is the attitude tone of dreams deferred?

ATTITUDE/TONE
The narrator’s tone is one of urgency and confidence. The narrator is urging the reader to continue to hold onto their dreams, and the narrator seems to know the importance of holding onto dreams.

How would you respond to the deferral of a personal dream?

The best response to a “deferred dream” is to “explode” in a positive way by using the “deferred dream” as a catalyst for positive change.

What is the meaning behind the poem Harlem?

Lesson Summary
Langston Hughes’ poem Harlem explains what could happen to dreams that are deferred or put on hold. The poem was initially meant to focus on the dreams of Blacks during the 1950s, but is relevant to the dreams of all people.

What is the best summary of A Dream Deferred?

Langston Hughes and a Summary of ‘Harlem’ (A Dream Deferred)
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.

What does crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet mean?

The dream isn’t visible anymore, but it is inescapable. What does “or crust and sugar over – like a syrupy sweet?” mean? What type of figurative language is it? Something good has become old and doesn’t work anymore. It is a simile/personification.

What does Does it stink like rotten meat mean?

Hughes continues his questioning by using another simile for postponed dreams, ” Does it stink like rotten meat?” Hughes is trying to convey that over a period of time a person may become so tired of the dream that they have postponed that it would actually start to stink, they would start to hate it, and want to get

What is the best explanation of these lines from Harlem What happens to a dream deferred Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?

Hughes writes, “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” (Lines 1-3). Langston Hughes uses this simile to explain to the reader that your ambitions can’t be forgotten about because they will deteriorate and turn into nothing. Hughes also says, “Or fester like a sore and then run?

What does sags like a heavy load mean?

The poem asks if a postponed dream sags like a heavy load. All readers can empathize with the sensation of trying to carry too many heavy things at once; stumbling becomes inevitable. A heavy psychological or emotional load of dreams about which readers feels hopeless can become unbearable.

What does it mean to fester like a sore?

If the dream does not dry up, maybe it will “fester like a sore-/ And then run.” If you have a sore, you want it to dry up so it will heal, but if it festers and runs, that means it is infected and will take longer to heal.

What does the line or does it explode mean?

One of the most ready-to-hand interpretations of that final line—“Or does it explode?”—is to think of the explosion as a riot, a reflection of the possibility that the oppressive conditions marginalized communities in Harlem and across Jim Crow America face might lead to open rebellion.

How is a dream deferred like A Raisin in the Sun?

What happens to a dream deferred? like a raisin in the sun? And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat?

How was Mama’s dream deferred in A Raisin in the Sun?

Mama dreams of moving her family out of their cramped apartment and into a house with a yard where children can play and she can tend a garden. Her dream has been deferred since she and her husband moved into the apartment that the Youngers still inhabit.

What happens to a dream deferred in A Raisin in the Sun?

Its central question, however, is “what happens to a dream deferred?” meaning basically “what happens when your dreams don’t come true?” only Hughes’s version sounds better. He poses a couple of graphic suggestions: do the dreams dry, fester, run, stink, crust, sugar, sag, or explode?

What happens to a dream deferred play?

At the end of the play, Mama decides to bring the plant with her to their new home. In doing so, she gives a new significance to the plant. While it initially stands for her deferred dream, now, as her dream comes true, it reminds her of her strength in working and waiting for so many years.

What is the best summary of A Dream Deferred?

Langston Hughes and a Summary of ‘Harlem’ (A Dream Deferred)
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.

What is the central message of the poem Harlem?

The poem exemplifies the negative effects that oppressive racism had on African-Americans at the time. These negative effects include being weighed down by shattered dreams as well as by violence. Another theme is injustice.

What is the meaning of Harlem by Langston Hughes?

“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 does crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet mean?

The dream isn’t visible anymore, but it is inescapable. What does “or crust and sugar over – like a syrupy sweet?” mean? What type of figurative language is it? Something good has become old and doesn’t work anymore. It is a simile/personification.

What does Does it stink like rotten meat mean?

Hughes continues his questioning by using another simile for postponed dreams, ” Does it stink like rotten meat?” Hughes is trying to convey that over a period of time a person may become so tired of the dream that they have postponed that it would actually start to stink, they would start to hate it, and want to get

What does a syrupy sweet mean?

Syrupy things are very, very sweet—probably a little too sweet! A syrupy dessert might make your teeth hurt. Things that are literally syrupy have the drippy, sticky sweetness of molasses or honey.

What does it mean to fester like a sore?

If the dream does not dry up, maybe it will “fester like a sore-/ And then run.” If you have a sore, you want it to dry up so it will heal, but if it festers and runs, that means it is infected and will take longer to heal.

What does sag like a heavy load mean?

The poem asks if a postponed dream sags like a heavy load. All readers can empathize with the sensation of trying to carry too many heavy things at once; stumbling becomes inevitable. A heavy psychological or emotional load of dreams about which readers feels hopeless can become unbearable.

Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?

— 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?

What is the dream compared to a raisin?

Langston Hughes Dream Deferred Analysis
A dream deferred is compared to a raisin, a sore, rotten meat, a syrupy sweet and a heavy load. The actions linked to these items describe what may happen to the dream, such as rotting and dying or weighing down the voices inside their head.