“A Dream Deferred,” by Langston Hughes

Directions: Read the poem below.

A Dream Deferred

by 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?

Or crust and sugar over--

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

What does the word “deferred” mean? Define this term in your own words.

Describe in your own words what this poem is about.

Circle all of the words in the poem that appeal to the senses. Is this imagery positive or negative? How do you know?

Look at the words that you’ve circled. What effect does Hughes’s word choice have on the reader? How are these words supposed to make the reader feel?

What do you think is the main message of this poem?

What is a simile?

What is your favorite line in the poem? Copy it here.

An alternate title for this poem is “Harlem.” How might this change the meaning of the poem?

Harlem (A Dream Deferred) is a poem by Langston Hughes that has an important use of symbolism, the whole poem refers to the query of what happens to those dreams that are never fulfilled, so the poem goes through several images of how these dreams end, this specific part uses objects since it makes reference to raisins and meat among others.

Explanation: