Question

ow do the similes that the speaker uses throughout the poem contribute to the negative portrayal of deferred dreams?

Answer 1

Answer: The speaker expresses his frustration over deferred dreams that, in his view, are useless and might never be fulfilled.

Explanation:

In the poem Harlem by Langston Hughes, the author uses similes to compare a deferred dream with: 1) a raisin that dries up in the sun, 2) a sore that festers and then runs, 3) a rotten meat, 4) a syrupy sweets that crusts, 5) a heavy log that sags.

It is easy to notice that, through these strange comparisons, the author expresses his frustration. He compares a deferred dream (a dream that has not been fulfilled yet but will possibly come true in the future) with things that have become useless, as a raisin that was once sweet but is now dried. The speaker of the poem is rather pessimistic and sees no point in holding on to a dream that might never come true.