Analysis of the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes Essay Example

justify">When dreams are neglected and postponed, it will only dry up and be carried away by those who have greater power, like the black people who died without achieving any of their dreams (Harlem, Poem Summary). Lines four and five use imagery by means of the second simile “fester like a sore” (Grimes). This makes one’s imagination linger beyond the sore itself. The author wanted to reveal that it is not only the sore itself that makes one suffer. It is the long healing process that makes one ache even more. The longer the sore is in the skin, the greater infection it gives.

Hence, in these lines, Hughes suggests that the longer people ignore their dreams, the greater the suffering they have to endure. It can go as far as insanity and death (Harlem, Poem Summary). Dreams which are put on hold for a longer period of time will soon decay. This is explained in the sixth line of the poem by means of the simile “like rotten meat” (Hughes; Grimes). A dream which is not achieved will disintegrate and become rancid. Through this line, Hughes attempted to provide a clearer image of the situation of the Black people.

Discriminated by the White Americans, they suffered as victims of injustice and died without achieving the means to improve their conditions. In the end, they left their dreams to rot (Harlem, Poem Summary). The seventh and eight line of the poem tell the readers about the result of disregarding one's dreams. Hughes intensifies the agony experienced by people whose dreams are obstructed. He compared this with a sweet syrup left unused which accumulated

crust on the top, leaving the bottom useless (Grimes). The American dream was never reached by those who were in the lower social ladder, as they were rendered useless by those in power.

Thus, the bottom part of the syrup bottle symbolizes those who were victims of social injustice. On the other hand, the success enjoyed by the “crust and sugar” represent the White Americans during that time (Harlem, Poem Summary). The second to the last stanza of the poem is the only line that does not ask. It is a statement that foresees how heavy the lives of Black people were. Their deferred dreams pull them to the ground and make their lives miserable (Harlem, Poem Summary). The last line of the poem is a question again.

However, this time, instead using simile as the figurative language (which the author employed in the previous lines), he used a metaphor (Grimes). This is because Hughes wanted to end the poem with a great impact. What is implied on the last line is the most frustrating and devastating effect of deferred dreams. The author wanted to inform the readers that unfulfilled dreams will not only inflict pain on the dreamer itself but to everyone as well. The author uses rhyming scheme in the poem. There are stanzas the last words of which sound alike. Examples of rhyming words in the poem include the words meat-sweet, sun-run, and load-explode.

Although it can be compared to sonnets, this poem is not considered as a sonnet. There are rhythmic patterns in a sonnet’s form that are not followed in the poem. The theme of the poem

Harlem tells the readers that postponing one's dream will cause him or her to live a life of suffering and emptiness. Having a dream is essential for everyone; it drives people to succeed. This is the engine that runs the souls of human beings and motivates them to accomplish great things. However, when dreamers are manipulated and prevented from realizing their dream, the results can torment them and forever leave them scarred.