‘Instructor’s Name’
Langston Hugh's poem "Harlem"
In 1951, the year in which Hughes’ ‘Harlem’ was published, the mood of the American Blacks was one of frustration and disappointment. To fully decipher the meaning of this poem it is important to understand the context in which it was written. Though slavery was outlawed after the civil war and many rights, like right to vote and own a property, were granted to the African Americans, racial prejudice that existed in the then society had relegated them to an inferior position than the Whites. The World War II was over and America had opposed vehemently to the anti-humanitarian practices of the Nazis towards a particular race, the Jews. But African American activists asked the American government to look into their own backyard, where a particular faction of the society being marginalized on basis of their race. Their children were educated in separate schools, they were given menial jobs like porters, shoeshine boys etc and public facilities like bathrooms, restaurants etc., were segregated. Thus many dreams of the Blacks, some crucial like the end of discrimination in workforce, some mundane like living in the same neighborhood as Whites, were never allowed to fulfill. Hughes’ poem reflects the disappointment building inside the Blacks because of the deferred dreams.
In the opening line of the poem the poet wonders what happens to a deferred dream. The subsequent lines of the poem discuss various outcomes that might arise when a dream is put on hold. The poet uses symbolism and imagery, to make the reader visualize and sense, the pent up frustration among the Blacks. He discusses various scenarios that might arise if the African Americans are continually denied the rights they deserve.
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?
First he wonders whether the dream will die and wane away like a raisin does when exposed to sunlight. Raisin, which once was a moist, juicy and a taut grape, becomes arid and withered when left to dry. A grape undergoes a complete transformation when exposed to sun and it no longer retains its sweetness or original appearance. With these words the poet says how a dream when left unfulfilled for years together, changes its character and it is no longer the same vigorous and promising dream it once was. The poet wonders whether the American dream of the Blacks, which is full of promise and hope, will wane away if left uncared for and postponed for so many decades.
The other imagery used like festering sore and rotten stinking meat, are again used to create an image of pain and disgust. A wound when is not treated properly it gets infected and starts oozing pus. Likewise, a psychological or emotional injury when is not treated with proper remedy, would aggravate and poison both mind and the body. This simile is used to warn that repeated denials of rights may poison the minds of young American Blacks. Rotten meat and its stink are used elevate the feeling of disgust. When meat is not consumed and left uncooked for days, it would rot and stink. In the same way when the promised eradication of prejudice, if does not happen in time, it would rot the mind and would lead to social divisions which would degrade the image of the country. The words ‘syrupy sweet’ draws the attention of the reader to the sweetness of the dream, producing a contrast to the bitterness of unfulfilled dreams. Hughes delineates how the initial sweetness of the dream crusts over when it was made to wait in vain. Also he indicates how the weight, of years of oppression, has made the dream sag and droop over, not able to stand withstand the pressure anymore.
The last line has a significant meaning and records a change in tone in the poem. The poet, after lining up various images that indicate meek surrender of dreams as a lost cause, alters the tempo with the last line, by wondering whether the dream will explode. The words are italicized by the poet to convey their importance. Through all the other lines the poet mainly discussed how a dream can fade or lose its color if it delayed indefinitely. But in the last line he says there is also a possibility that it might explode. Through this he conveys that an explosive reaction to the denial of the dreams of the Black people is very much a possibility. Explosion is usually the outcome of concealed pressure and denotes bursting of suppressed energy. He opines that African Americans, who waited patiently for social changes to take place, might take the initiative and fight for their rights. Given the fact that the civil rights movement was born and gained steam within a decade after this poem was published, Hughes predictions were prophetic.
Works Cited
Hughes, Langston. "Harlem." Poetry Foundation. 1951. Web. 19 Dec. 2013 <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175884>.
