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 is just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
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 is just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
This is a poem we read in class. I found this poem very interesting. During class we picked it apart. We looked at different literary devices, title, connotation, attitude, theme, diction, etc. I found it was so fascinating to see that a poem that seems to simple and clear has so much structure and thought put behind it. One thing that really struct me was the diction. I really loved the work choice Langston Huges used. Instead of smelly, Langston chose smelly. Simple substitutions like that have a huge impact on the over all story. Smelly is just something that smells, while stink implies a fowl smell and is more of a negative perspective. Because of that we can see the bitterness is carried out throughout the poem. Diction is one thing I really want to focus on and improve on in my writing.