Harlem Poem by Langston Hughes
With stark visual simile, and strong threads of discrimination, Langston Hughes' Harlem Poem makes the reader experience the brokenness of unfulfilled dreams.
Do you remember being a naïve child? We used to dream of becoming astronauts, and pilots and going to other planets. We had no limits on our dreams. But not every child is so lucky or blessed. Children born into poverty or in societies that are rife with caste discrimination, and racism, struggle to even dream in the first place.
Despite giving everything, many remain devoid of the joy of seeing their dreams come true. Some don’t get the chance to turn their dreams into reality, some restrict their dreams due to external factors, and they hesitate to take the necessary steps to complete their dreams. So, what happens when dreams are not fulfilled?
This is the question asked by the famous American poet Langston Hughes in one of his influential poems ‘Harlem’.
What is Harlem?
Harlem's a beautiful village outside New York City. In the beginning, the wealthy lived in Harlem to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. It became a part of New York City in 1873, a time when the subway line project was in process. Due to the speculation of this project, many buildings were constructed in Harlem. But the real estate bubble, burst in the early 1900s as the subway line was nowhere near completion. This caused panic, and the owners sold their properties at cheap prices.
Many affluent African Americans came to Harlem in what is termed as "the great migration". This led to Harlem becoming one of the largest African American cities.
Hey black child is written in an era where whites dominated blacks. It’s written to motivate black children to have faith in themselves.
lifeism.coAbout Harlem renaissance
As the African American population of Harlem increased over the years, many artists, writers, and poets surfaced. They created world-renowned pieces of art and literature and wrote poetry that still has an impact on society today. Further, these creations caused a movement that proved to be a turning point in African American history of culture. Since this artistic movement was started in Harlem, it is named ‘Harlem Renaissance.'
Many poets and writers were part of this movement. Langston Hughes was one of the many artists who helped make African American culture rich with their inspiring and meaningful poetry.
If you are afraid of judgment or struggle to express yourself, read Audre Laude quotes on authenticity. Take a small step to be authentically you.
lifeism.coAbout the Poet - Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes was an African American artist born in Joplin, a small city in America. He is famous for his collections of poetry and short stories like ‘The weary blues’, ‘The ways of white Folks’, and many more. He was one of the earliest innovators of jazz poetry.
He acted as one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance carried out by African American artists. He effectively portrayed joy, happiness, sorrow, hope, and hardship in the life of black people through his literary work. The writings talked about social issues like civil rights, racism, gender equality, and injustice. Till date, his writings influence African Americans, especially the youth, and are widely recognized by people around the world.
Among many of Langston's influential poems, here is one poem that talks about African American dream.
The Poem- Harlem
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?
About Harlem Poem by Langston Hughes
The poem ‘Harlem’ by Langston Hughes was written in 1951. It was one of the most influential poems of that era. The theme of this poem is based on the limitations that were indirectly imposed on African American people who wished to make their dreams a reality in America.
In this poem, the poet expresses the feelings he felt while trying to make his dream a reality in a society of discrimination. Further, the poem talks about deferred dreams. The literal meaning of deferred is delayed or postponed. Langston Hughes talks about what happens when the dream doesn’t get completed or is delayed – for a generation or two.
He digs deep into those uncomfortable creaves of our emotions (the ones we typically hide or try to cover up) and asks what a deferred dream feels like.
Dreams are not just a figment of our imagination; they can also be a source of motivation to achieve our goals.
lifeism.coAnalysis of Harlem by Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes wrote ‘Harlem’ to tell the world about the discrimination that very much existed but was often denied. Read on for the complete analysis of the poem.
Stanza 1
What happens to a dream deferred?
The poem starts with the question, ‘What happens to a dream deferred?’. The word deferred in this context means that the dream is off the table or postponed infinitely. It seems to be a very simple question at first. But when you contemplate it, the pain and suffering behind it come to light.
The dream, in many ways, is being free from racism and injustice, creating a society where everyone is safe, and not judged by the color of their skin.
Stanza 2
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Langston Hughes uses a poignant visual simile to compare the feeling of an unrealized dream. This visual comparison to his feelings is stark and raw – it makes the reader feel what he feels as a result of a dream deferred.
The first simile he uses is that the dream dries up, just like the raisin dries when we keep it under the sun. He uses raisin as a simile for the deferred dreams and the sun as factors that cause them to dry up. In the context of the poem, the sun stands for the racist society.
If we keep a raisin in the sun, it will shrivel. Similarly, some factors shrivel others' dreams.
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
The second simile that the poet expresses is that deferred dreams fester like a sore. He compares the dreams with a wound that keeps getting worse over a period of time and doesn’t heal. It eventually becomes a part of the dreamer’s life, causing unpredictable pain that seeps into their lives. Just like wounds, these dreams leave the dreamer in pain, agony, and sorrow.
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Another simple that Langston Hughes comes up with is that deferred dreams become just like rotten meat. It affects our physical being and we experience fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and whatnot when we eat rotten meat. Imagine the effect a dream can have on your mind that has been decaying for ages.
Here, Langston Hughes intensifies his feeling about deferred dreams by comparing them with rotten meat.
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
In the next lines, the poet further continues to compare the deferred dreams to another possibility – crystalized candy or sugar. While this simile may seem visually better than the others, we think this expresses the depth of Langston Hughes's feelings. The over-sweet deferred dream runs in our blood like diabetes and affects every aspect of our health and life. Unseen on the surface of it, it causes mayhem internally.
Stanza 3
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Up to this point, Langston Hughes just asks questions to the readers. This stanza actually comes with an answer to the question asked in the first stanza.
Poet Langston Hughes thinks that the deferred dream has become baggage that people carry on their backs for a lifetime. The bitter realization that we have deferred dreams kicks in every now and then, however, it lies in our subconscious, always present and waiting to emerge.
Stanza 4
Or does it explode?
At a certain point, carrying deferred dreams becomes unbearable. After decades of uncalled-for discrimination and missed opportunities – not based on merit but solely on the color of the skin takes a toll. Carrying this level of injustice, Langston Hughes suggests, can explode anyone.
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lifeism.coAt that point, the consequences of our actions no longer matter. And the trigger of such an explosion can be a seemingly little incident. But it can implode the life of the dreamer and those around him.
The Harlem Poem aims to share the burden and grief of African Americans with each other as well as others. The poignant contrast, visual imagery, and strong similies draw the reader into the poem to experience the deep-seated deferred dreams that the poet (and several generations of African Americans) experience on a daily basis.