The theme in "Harlem", Langston Hughes is discussing the dream of African Americans to have equal rights. Hughes in the poem uses figurative language to convey vivid imagery in the poem to suggest what might happen as a result of being denied that dream. Simile is the primary type of figurative language used in this poem. "Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over- like a syrupy sweet?" A series of similes are used in the poem to compare a dream deferred to rotting, aging, or burdensome items.The actions linked to these items suggest what might happen to the dream, such as rotting and dying or weighing down the conscience of the people. The figurative language that stands out to me the most is in the ending of the poem along with
