Creative writing post #5

Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--
And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

source: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16947

2. I chose this poem because it uses a lot of good similes and comparisons and makes a good point. It talks about what happens if you do not go out and chase your dreams in a way that makes you never want to let another dream go ever again. I also know that a lot of people think Langston Hughes is a great poet which is another reason I chose this poem.

3. The title connects very well to the poem. A deferred dream is what this entire poem is about. The first line is, "What happens to a dream deferred?" The whole poem is the answer to that question in the mind of Langston Hughes.

4. Langston Hughes uses many poetic devices in this poem. Almost every line is a simile, and I would say the best one is when Hughes says, "Does it dry up, Like a raisin in the sun?" This really paints a very clear and interesting image in my mind. A raisin in the sun is really a gross image and none of us want our dreams to turn out like that. I think Hughes is saying that when you ignore a dream, it is no longer the same as it is when you come back to it. Another poetic device is alliteration. Hughes says, "Or crust and sugar over--like a syrupy sweet?" The "s" sound is repeated and really makes the poem flow well. It draws attention to that line because of the flow and I found that I remembered that line more than the others.

5. The tone, to me, seems slightly sad but I think it also gives readers a sense of urgency to achieve their dreams. Hughes is very successful in creating this tone due to the fact that he uses distinct images like a raisin in the sun or a festering sore. These images are often associated with sadness or pain, so it was a good idea to use them to prove his point.