USA HISTORY

THE ROARING 20S 1920 1929

ART AND CULTURE OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Throughout the poem, what does Hughes tell us about a postponed dream?
A
It could burst, go bad, or weigh a person down
B
It could become more beautiful and sweet
C
It could feed the soul and explode into further dreams
D
It could keep the person hungry for more
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The message of “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes is that people should be free to fulfill their dreams and that not being able to do so, as happened to many African-Americans at the time the poem was written and before, is harmful to people and leads to unhappiness.

Detailed explanation-2: -’Harlem’ (A Dream Deferred) is one of a number of poems Hughes wrote that relates to the lives of African-American people in the USA. The short poem poses questions about the aspirations of a people and the consequences that might arise if those dreams and hopes don’t come to fruition.

Detailed explanation-3: -The poem asks if a postponed dream sags like a heavy load. All readers can empathize with the sensation of trying to carry too many heavy things at once; stumbling becomes inevitable. A heavy psychological or emotional load of dreams about which readers feels hopeless can become unbearable.

Detailed explanation-4: -Hughes writes, “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” (Lines 1-3). Langston Hughes uses this simile to explain to the reader that your ambitions can’t be forgotten about because they will deteriorate and turn into nothing.

There is 1 question to complete.