A Dream Deferred - the Poetry of Langston Hughes - 1647 Words

The poetry of Langston Hughes, the poet laureate of Harlem, is an effective commentary on the condition of blacks in America during the 20th Century. Hughes places particular emphasis on Harlem, a black area in New York that became a destination of many hopeful blacks in the first half of the 1900à ­s. In much of Hughes poetry, a theme that runs throughout is that of a dream deferred. The recurrence of adream deferred in several Hughes poems paints a clear picture of the disappointment and dismay that blacks in America faced in Harlem. Furthermore, as each poem develops, so does the feeling behind adream deferred, growing more serious and even angry with each new stanza.brbrTo understand Hughes idea of thedream deferred, one†¦show more content†¦The poem changes moods with the linesIve seen them come dark/ out of Penn Station - / but the trains are late. / The gates are open - / Yet therere bars / at each gate. The people have not found what they expected and hoped for in H arlem. These last lines help the reader to understand the feelings that accompanied the harsh reality of Harlem. The addition of the blunt question,What happens / to a dream deferred? maintains this understanding: this is thedream deferred, and this is what the people were experiencing. The question is harsh and unyielding, and its position in the poem creates a feeling of seriousness. Another Hughes poem,Same in Blues, attempts to establish further the idea of adream deferred, incorporating a type of dialogue between characters to explain the components of adream deferred, adding an element of anger to the end. The first stanza has a woman telling her man that she has to keep moving, followed by the lines,Theres a certain / amount of traveling / in a dream deferred. This method continues through four stanzas, where peopl converse, and a new component is introduced:a certain amount of nothing,a certain amount of impotence. The last component the poem introduces is the most effective :Theres liable / to be confusion / in a dream deferred. The poem continues to say thattheres liable to be confusion / when a dreamShow MoreRelated Dreams of Blacks Deferred in the Poetry of Langston Hughes Essay1711 Words   |  7 PagesDreams of Blacks Deferred in the Poetry of Langston Hughes    The poetry of Langston Hughes, the poet laureate of Harlem, is an effective commentary on the condition of blacks in America during the 20th Century. Hughes places particular emphasis on Harlem, a black area in New York that became a destination of many hopeful blacks in the first half of the 1900s. In much of Hughes poetry, a theme that runs throughout is that of a dream deferred. The recurrence of a dream deferred in severalRead MoreHughes Use of Literary Devices658 Words   |  3 Pages Langston Hughes Use of Literary Devices Only a half of century after the abolition of slavery, the African Americans began the movement of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920‘s. Suppressed by whites, segregation, second-class citizen ship and a poor education Langston Hughes became one of the most inspirational poets of his time. Langston Hughes let the world know of his existence through his poetry. Ignited with passion, pride and knowledge of the journey through slavery and there after, HughesRead MorePoets Write Feelings of Racism in Still I Rise In Harlem by Langston Hughes and Stil I Rise by Maya Angelou642 Words   |  3 Pagesto write their feelings turning them into poetry. One of these people is Langston Hughes. Hughes is a very influential man who has written countless amounts of poetry. 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