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Pick 10 Books and We'll Guess Whether You're an Introvert or an Extrovert. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes Harlem Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays.
- “Harlem” Summary.
- “Harlem” Themes. The Cost of Social Injustice. Where this theme appears in the poem: Lines 1-11. The Individual and the Community.
- Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Harlem” Line 1. What happens to a dream deferred? Lines 2-5. Does it dry ... ... And then run? Lines 6-8. Does it stink ...
- “Harlem” Symbols. The Dream. Where this symbol appears in the poem: Line 1: “dream”
Aug 13, 2024 · The most striking features of “Harlem” are the vivid, even startling, metaphors that Hughes introduces as possible answers to the poem’s opening question, “What happens to a dream deferred?”...
- Line 1
- Lines 2–3
- Lines 4–5
- Line 6
- Lines 7–8
- Lines 9–10
- Line 11
The speaker of this poem, potentially representing Hughes, poses a broad,open-ended question that is both answered and expanded upon by the subsequentsub-questions. This poem, along with the collection Montage of a DreamDeferredin which it is included, examines the impact on individuals andsociety when the dreams of millions are postponed or indefi...
The poem's initial image suggests that a deferred dream dries up like araisin. This metaphor compares the original dream to a grape—round, juicy,green, and fresh. When the dream is neglected for too long, it shrivels up.Although the dream remains sweet and consumable, it has diminished from itsoriginal state and turned black. The renowned 1959 play...
While the raisin imagery engages the senses of taste and sight, the simileof a sore evokes a tactile and physical sensation. Sores appear on the skin,are visible, felt, and carried with us. By equating a dream to a sore on thebody, the poet implies that unrealized dreams become a part of us, much likescars. Even if a sore is ignored, it remains pal...
Engaging all of the reader's senses, the speaker proposes that a deferreddream might also emit a foul odor. Unlike a sore, a bad smell cannot beignored. Odors persist until their source is eliminated. By comparing deferreddreams to the stench of rotten meat, Hughes suggests that these dreams willcontinuously torment an individual, causing distress ...
In these lines, the poet lessens the catastrophic consequences of ignoringor suppressing one's dreams. While a crusted, syrupy sweet won't be as harmfulas meat or sores, it still evokes images of waste, neglect, and decay. A sweettreat, much like a dream, starts as something one desires and looks forward toeagerly. However, if left unused for too l...
Lines 9-10 comprise the only statement that isn't a question. Hughessuggests that while neglecting dreams can lead to various unpredictablehorrors, one thing is certain: deferred dreams weigh on a person bothphysically and emotionally, as heavily as a load of bricks.
Hughes sets this line apart and italicizes it to highlight the broaderconsequences of widespread dissatisfaction. Although this line is also aquestion, like the ones before it, the poet implies that an explosion mighthappen, harming or even killing those near the blast as well as the affectedindividual. Hughes is suggesting that while a deferred dr...
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From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes Harlem Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays.
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