In the poem “Harlem,” Langston Hughes examines the repercussions that could result from postponing an aspiration. The aspiration Hughes is referring to is achieving racial equality in America. He uses similes with imagery to clearly show what can happen when a dream is put off by an individual or by society as a whole.
The first image that Hughes uses is “a raisin in the sun”(Hughes, line 3). A raisin is something that was once fresh, but, due to being in a harsh setting, has decayed and changed in its appearance. This visual image is intended to identify the transformation that the idea of equality can make if it is not achieved. Like a raisin, racial equality can start as a hopeful notion. However, it will have a small chance of succeeding if it is developed in an …show more content…
Hughes makes use of this comparison to demonstrate how putting off a dream can give a person false hope. For instance, when an individual postpones their goal instead of letting it go, he or she will still have hope that the goal will be achieved one day. Although this belief may be satisfying at first, it will eventually become unhealthy for the individual and it will keep him or her from moving forward. In the following stanza, Hughes notes that a deferred aspiration “sags like a heavy load”(Hughes, line 9-10). A heavy load is burdensome to whoever has to carry it. Moreover, it will exhaust its bearer, so much so, that weight will eventually break the person down. Hughes brings up this image to identify how holding on to an unfulfilled dream can be taxing. When a goal remains unachieved, some will take it upon themselves to keep the goal alive. Consequently, this will put pressure on them through the belief that if they fail, the dream will fail also. Such a belief is highly stressful and tiring. The last comparison Hughes makes is that postponing an aspiration can make “it explode”(Hughes, line 11). An explosion is destructive and
The first image that Hughes uses is “a raisin in the sun”(Hughes, line 3). A raisin is something that was once fresh, but, due to being in a harsh setting, has decayed and changed in its appearance. This visual image is intended to identify the transformation that the idea of equality can make if it is not achieved. Like a raisin, racial equality can start as a hopeful notion. However, it will have a small chance of succeeding if it is developed in an …show more content…
Hughes makes use of this comparison to demonstrate how putting off a dream can give a person false hope. For instance, when an individual postpones their goal instead of letting it go, he or she will still have hope that the goal will be achieved one day. Although this belief may be satisfying at first, it will eventually become unhealthy for the individual and it will keep him or her from moving forward. In the following stanza, Hughes notes that a deferred aspiration “sags like a heavy load”(Hughes, line 9-10). A heavy load is burdensome to whoever has to carry it. Moreover, it will exhaust its bearer, so much so, that weight will eventually break the person down. Hughes brings up this image to identify how holding on to an unfulfilled dream can be taxing. When a goal remains unachieved, some will take it upon themselves to keep the goal alive. Consequently, this will put pressure on them through the belief that if they fail, the dream will fail also. Such a belief is highly stressful and tiring. The last comparison Hughes makes is that postponing an aspiration can make “it explode”(Hughes, line 11). An explosion is destructive and