“Harlem” is Langston Hughes’s most famous poem, in which the author addresses such important issues as racial prejudices and limitations of blacks in the American society. The author presents vivid analogies of a postponed dream which are not violent in their nature but potent to make readers taste, feel, and smell these hopeless dreams, the dreams of African Americans about freedom, dignity, equality, success, and opportunities. The poem consists of eleven short lines presented in the form of questions which are extremely powerful but leave a sense of silence after them. The title of the poem echoes the name of a literary movement, Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes was an active member of this movement, in which writers tended to express the spirit and essence of black America. In “Harlem”, the author uses rich figurative language and imagery to demonstrate how frustrated, oppressed and passive people to get equal rights can turn to violence.
The publication year of this poem was characterized by frustration that was a common feature of African Americans of that time. Moreover, frustration is the main theme of the poem. The Civil War had liberated them from the shackles of slavery and granted the right to own property, vote, and live a full life. Nevertheless, racial prejudices relegated blacks to low-class citizens. As a result, they had to attend segregated schools and work as porters, servants, etc. Moreover, in some states, blacks had limited access to the public places such as restaurants or theaters and even on the buses they were required to occupy only back seats. Besides, there were hate groups that inflicted cruel treatment on blacks including lynching and brutal beatings. Thus, the narrator is frustrated but does not exclude the possibility of the dream’s transformation and rebirth. The dream may also refer to the notion of the American Dream, which supposed that prosperity and freedom were available to each person regardless his racial background. In addition, it may refer to the dream of Martin Luther King who fought for equality of all people.
The central question of the poem is placed in the first line, “What happens to a dream deferred?” (Hughes). The author sets it off the main body to emphasize its meaning because it is not a casual inquiry and a deferred dream is something very important. It is a rhetorical question, but Hughes offers six responses to it, and five of them are interrogative sentences. Lines nine-ten are a declarative sentence but due to the initial word “maybe,” it seems less truly declarative, “Maybe it just sags like a heavy load” (Hughes). The final line is powerful and emphatically italicized to stress its significance, “Or does it explode?” (Hughes). It is a hidden warning that the black community may use violence because they have no choice.
In the poem, the author uses alliteration to contribute to the revealing of his main idea. Alliteration can be defined as repeated consonants at the beginning of stressed syllables. It can be found in the first and second lines, “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” (Hughes). By using this literary device from the very beginning, the poet draws attention to the significance of those words related to the main theme of the poem. Another example of alliteration is, “Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet” (Hughes). The repetition of the sound “s” adds negativity to the things that are theoretically considered delicious. In spite of the fact that the meter of the poem varies, it has a lyrical and rhythmic quality achieved by means of alliteration, skillfully placed stressed syllables, and repetition of the certain words. “Harlem” does not imitate any previous format but resembles a jagged edge which is ready to prick and tear the readers to convey the poet’s message.
Similes are the predominant literary devices used in the poem to create imagery. The author explores the result of putting dreams on hold and compares a deferred dream to something ordinary. He realizes that his ideas are abstract, but the imagery makes the reader feel the severity and frustration of a deferred dream in an unpleasant and even disgusting way. In the opening line, the speaker creates a visual image by using simile to compare a deferred dream to a raisin. It is important to understand that a raisin is a result of shriveling up of a moist and juicy grape. Thus, Hughes compares a dream to a raisin because it has lost its life and energy and has transformed beyond recognition. The poet also emphasizes the fact that a grape dried up to become a raisin similarly to a dream because they both have lost their life-giving moisture. On the whole, the poet uses powerful similes and images to suggest that dreams should not be postponed. Otherwise, they will change drastically, and it is less likely that such dreams will come true. Other similes include, “ fester like a sore, stink like rotten meat, crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet, and sags like a heavy load” (Hughes). The image of a festering sore conveys a sense of pain and infection, and this comparison suggests that a deferred dream becomes a part of people, like a lingering and painful injury. The image of rotten meat is extremely unpleasant and stands for the smell of a forgotten thing from the past. Thus, a deferred dream is not tasty anymore and even becomes a heavy load for a person.
Works cited
Hughes, Langston. "Harlem." The Panther and the Lash. New York: Knopf, 1951. Web 03. 06. 2016
