Harlem Analysis Essay

Langston Hughes short poem, Harlem, seeks to understand what happens to a intake when it is throw on hold. Hughes uses natural imagery and similes to make an effort to pick out what the consequences are to a ambition that is lost. He attempts to contribute to the attention the life of a Negro and how so many woolgathers are put off to the side because of prejudice against African Americans. The tone, imagery, and diction of Langston Hughes poem, Harlem, entrust be discussed in this paper. Harlem was written in 1951, which was most the time where prejudice against African Americans was still present (Cummings).Earlier, the civil fight had liberated them from slavery, and federal laws had granted them the right to vote, the right to own property, and so on (Cummings). Although these civil rights were given to African Americans, prejudice continued to be a problem in society. They were put into poorly run segregate schools, given unskilled jobs, and were not altogetherowed t o use the same public facilities as white people (Cummings). This background information helps define the tone of the poem. The effect of anger and frustration are induceed through Hughes poem.Hughes was frustrated with the fact that their jumble color was belongings them back from pursuing their dreams. He asks a serial of rhetorical passs to build up to the last melody Or does it touch off? (Hughes 691). This line sets the overall tone of the poem by describing the build up of the anger the blacks had toward the white oppression. Hughes final message of the poem is that this fretfulness they extradite held inside for so long go out soon explode create both political and social damage. The use of imagery is prevalent end-to-end this poem.Hughes begins the poem by asking, What happens to a dream deferred? (690). From there he uses burnished imagery in the form of similes to paint a picture of someones dream that is wasting away. The images he uses touch on all five instincts sight, touch, smell, taste perception, and hearing. In the first two lines he uses the sense of taste by comparing a deferred dream to a raisin drying up in the sun. The original dream is a fresh, winsome grape but when it is put off to the side it dries up and turns into a black raisin.In lines 4 and five Hughes uses the sense of touch by comparing a dream to a sore by stating Or fester homogeneous a sore/ and then run? (609). A sore on our ashes is apart of us, just analogous an unfulfilled dream. An untreated sore will eventually accommodate infected, just like a deferred dream will pay off more intense over time. The next line uses the sense of smell to describe a dream by comparing it to a stink of rotten meat (Hughes 690). Hughes is trying to convey that a dream that is put off will become less appealing.Lines seven and octad compare a dream to the sense of taste by stating, Or crust and dulcorate over/ like a syrupy sweet? (Hughes 690). This simile is d escribing that over time this dream will be crusty over and forgotten about. This last question then transitions into the only story in the poem, Maybe it just sags/ like a heavy load. (Hughes 691). This rehearsal is describing the heavy burden that is put on the dreamer. It creates an image of defeat.The final question uses the sense of hearing by saying Or does it explode? (Hughes 690). This line describes that if this dream continues to be put off, it will eventually explode and pandemonium will spread. These images help establish the situation and setting of the poem. The oppression of African Americans dreams will ultimately cause an explosion of resentment and hate toward the white race. The diction of the poem seems to be very straightforward. Hughes chose his haggle very guardedly to have a meaning that must be interpreted by the reader.In line four, Hughes chose the word fester to found the anger and resentment that had been expression up inside African Americans f rom beingness treated unequally. The word explode is used to represent the violence and funny farm that will be the result of the festering anger thats building up. The word rotten also has significance towards it. If you put something aside and cash in ones chips it there for a long period of time, especially meat, it will become rotten. Hughes is trying to convey that putting dreams to the side will cause them to become rotten and forgotten about.Hughes uses the word crust to describe the dream being set aside for too long causing it to crust and sugar over making it no longer usable (690). Just like syrup that is set out for too long causing it to chasten and become no longer usable. Hughes uses the term heavy load to describe the burden society put on African Americans by holding them back from pursuing their dreams. They must live with the what if weighing them down like a heavy load. Hughes use of diction is chosen very carefully to depict the anger of African Americans f or having to hold back their dreams and goals because of their race.Langston Hughes uses tone, imagery, and diction to convey the deferred dreams and white oppression of African Americans. Racial prejudice caused many African Americans to lose sight of their dreams. Although they were granted their civil rights at this time period, racial discrimination was still prevalent in society and prevented them from pursuing their dreams. Hughes tries to bring to the attention the consequences of the built up resentment and thrown away dreams of African Americans to the reader in his short poem, Harlem.