Poetry

Analysis of Langston Hughes “A Dream Deferred”

What are the Elements of poetry?



Speaker:

the voice of the poem 

Subject:

what the poem is about 

Audience:

the person the speaker is talking to 

Tone:

the way the speaker feels about the subject 

Theme:

the underlaying message of the poem 

Stanza:

a group of lines (like paragraphs) 

Rhyme scheme:

a regular pattern of rhyming in the poem

What devices do poets use?



Imagery:

descriptive writing that appeals to the senses 

Symbolism:

something else any object that represents or stands for 

Repetition:

the repeating of words, lines, or phrases 

Simile

:

a comparison of two unlike things using like or as 

Metaphor:

using like or as a comparison of two unlike things without 

Personification:

to inanimate objects the giving of human qualities or traits

What devices do poets use?



Alliteration:

the repetition of initial consonant sounds 

Onomatopoeia:

words that represent sounds 

Hyperbole:

a deliberate exaggeration 

Irony

:

the difference between what is expected, and what actually happens

What are the steps to analyzing a poem?

 Read the poem. What is your general impression? Did you like it – yes or no?

 Identify the tone of the poem – is it happy or sad? Silly or serious?

 Read it again and paraphrase it (put it in your own words).

 Identify the speaker, audience, subject and theme.

 Read it one last time to identify the literary devices used.

 Finally –

discuss the poem with a friend!

A 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?

A 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?

Tone: Questioning, judgmental, warning Audience: Society Speaker: Someone who is bitter about having his dreams put off

A 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?

Subject:

A series of rhetorical questions about living with disappointment

Themes: •

Having to postpone one’s deepest desires can lead to destruction or destructive behavior

A 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?

Paraphrase:

What happens to your dreams when they are put off?

Do they shrivel and die, or just eat away at you and make you sick?

Do they rot away, or do you try to cover up the loss of your dreams by convincing yourself “it’s not so bad”?

Or maybe the burden of your unrealized dreams drag you down like an unbearable load.

Or do they build up until you can’t take it anymore?

A 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 — alliteration:

“dream deferred”

similes:

“dry up like a rasin in the sun” “fester like a sore-” “stink like rotten meat” Sugar over-Like a syrupy sweet?” “sag like a heavy load”

Like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

imagery:

“raisin in the sun” “fester like a sore” “stink like rotten meat” “heavy load”

“

explode

”

A 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?

repetition:

“does it”

Rhyme scheme:

“sun-run” “meat-sweet” “load-explode”

metaphor:

“does it explode?”

Read Poetry

The end