harlem by langston hughes
...they will continue to fight through adversity. One cannot allow a dream to die because dreams are what collectively motivate this world along with every individual in it. Dreams are why we get up every morning. If we dispose of our dreams, we will die with them. There were many lines that presented images to visualize. I could easily envision people walking around with "deferred dreams" floating above their heads, as they went about their daily routines. Every question Hughes asked was chalked full of imagery. I could feel the dry raisin in my hand. I felt the uncomfortable sensation of the bloody sore that will not heal trickling down my forearm. My stomach churned from the stench of the meat that continued to rot. Also, my back began to ache from the weight of the heavy load and my ears throbbed from the sound of the explosion. I became immersed in this poem. "Harlem" could easily be used as a classic example in the usage of similes. I think the point of view the author tries to convey is that dreams are timeless. More importantly, I think Hughes is saying no matter what shape dreams become molded into; dreams MUST NOT die. I recognized a few literary motifs entangled throughout this poem. The first motif I noticed was "the journey" or "the quest for something of value", because there is an obvious search for answers, by the author, in regards to the "deferred dream". I sensed that Hughes searches for answers to this topic with the tenacity of a seven-year-old kid that has ample time to form que...