Understanding "Harlem"
Ever had a dream that didn't come true? In "Harlem," Langston Hughes asks what happens to those delayed dreams. The poem takes us to Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City that was the center of African American culture.
This poem paints pictures with words through imagery that makes you feel what Hughes is describing. When he asks if a dream dries up "like a raisin in the sun," you can almost see and feel that shriveled grape. Hughes uses metaphors to compare dreams to different objects, helping us understand the power of unfulfilled hopes.
Hughes also uses similes (comparisons with "like" or "as") throughout the poem. Lines like "Does it stink like rotten meat?" create strong sensations that help us understand how bad it feels when dreams are put on hold. The poem's repetition of questions makes us think deeply about what happens to dreams that are postponed.
Try This! Pick your favorite line from "Harlem" and draw what you imagine when you read it. How does Hughes make you see, smell, or feel things with just a few words?
