Why do we mourn human beings, but not unfulfilled dreams? “Harlem,” a poem by Langston Hughes, is a lament for the lost dreams of African Americans living in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. Literally, the poem focuses on the process of decay of a deferred dream, while figuratively it delves into the consequences of putting a dream on hold due to racist beliefs. The form of the poem follows a stanza structure, consisting of four stanzas of different numbers of lines. Langston Hughes uses powerful imagery in his poem "Harlem" to describe the evolution of black American feelings in the years before the civil rights movement began. The poet uses images of rot and decay to explore the process of loss of hope and growth of frustration that black Americans underwent during this period. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Structurally, the poem is significant, as the way each stanza is organized helps in creating a self-controlled tone that allows the powerful climax of the poem to reach its full impact. The structure of the poem is stanza, composed of four stanzas with different numbers of lines. The most significant feature of this structure lies in the spaces between these rooms. The spaces before and after the third stanza, where Hughes writes, “Maybe it bends / like a heavy load.”, for example, are notable because through them the poet forces the speaker to stop. By slowing the narrative, Hughes portrays the speaker's attempts to calm down after an almost violently charged stanza, in which he describes the dream's process of transformative decay. This has a strong effect on the tone, as it mimics the speaker's struggle to accept their fate and silently bear the burden of having dark skin, thus showing the admirable self-control of black Americans. More significant, however, is the impact this has on the single line of the last stanza. The already powerful meaning behind the words: “Or explode?” it's made that much more powerful by how unavoidable it is. Even though the speaker clearly tries to remain composed and accepting, he cannot help but utter these threatening final words. This is indicative of the riots, protests, and other violent events that took place before the start of the Civil Rights Movement, which were arguably the Black American population's inevitable response to decades of oppression and structural suffering. It is very likely that this poem, given the title "Harlem" and the author's background, refers specifically to the Harlem riot of 1943, which occurred after a white police officer shot an African-American soldier named Robert Bandy. This debilitating ability of black Harlemites to remain peaceful in the face of such injustice is reinforced through literal and figurative meaning, reflecting the decomposition of a dream deferred. Literally, the poem explores several instances of rot and decay, while figuratively, the poem creates a very strong depiction of the consequences of unfulfilled dreams. The literal meaning of the poem centers on the answer to the question posed in the first line of the poem: "What happens to a dream deferred?" through comparison with several common examples of decomposition. After wondering whether this deferred dream dries up “like a raisin in the sun” or “rots like a sore,” Hughes asks in the fifth line of the second stanza, “Does it stink like rotten meat?” The poet uses the simile to equate deferred dreams with the traditional image of the rotting of spoiled flesh. This is relevant, sincesuggests that a dream, similarly to the flesh, once postponed, left out in the open and vulnerable to the corrosion of the world, can never be recovered, as it is now corrupted and beyond repair. The effect this has is that the representation of the process that led to the birth of the civil rights movement is significant, since it introduces the depth of the loss of the African American community; not only were they robbed of the fulfillment of their dreams and hopes in the present, but also, far more tragically, of the ability to return to those dreams and hopes once their current circumstances changed. Figuratively, the poem promotes the depiction of the terrible results of deferring a dream. In lines 1 and 2 of the second stanza, where Hughes writes, “Does it dry / like a raisin in the sun?”, the poet describes the consequences of postponing a dream by comparing deferred dreams to dried raisins. This similarity is notable, as raisins are the product of dried grapes which are a conventional symbol of fertility and prosperity. The effect this comparison has on the thematic axis of the story is significant, as it consolidates the theme of loss that is hinted at in the first line of the poem and which will be further developed later. By comparing deferred dreams to grapes turning into raisins in the sun, the poet is probably referring to the unrealized potential of these dreams, which once could have led to so much. Perhaps the sun represents the United States, which instead of taking advantage of the thoughts and ideas contained in the dreams of African Americans, rejected them, making it impossible for them to become reality. Langston Hughes uses a collection of images of deterioration to explore the progression of the general feelings of black Americans, which in the years preceding the era of the civil rights movement transformed from hope to frustration and anger. These images are found primarily in the second stanza and are a response to the opening line, where Hughes poses the rhetorical question on which the entire poem is based: "What happens to a dream deferred?" In lines 3 and 4 of this stanza, Hughes writes “Or fester like a sore / And then run?”, alluding to the sense of sight and touch to create a powerful image of decay. This is noteworthy, as by appealing to the reader's senses, the author is able to more clearly communicate the difficulty of the process of losing hope and growing frustration experienced by African Americans. Readers feel the inflammation of the wound of racism on a physical level and are disturbed by the impact of the illustration of blood and bruises. The effect this image has on the audience is enlightening, as they can easily empathize with the explosive frustration of African Americans who were once so full of dreams, but whose hopes have become rotten due to the way they were treated in the land that had promised them freedom and opportunity. For those who have never been victims of racism, it may prove difficult to understand what it feels like, but Hughes masterfully manages to bridge this divide between audience and speaker by appealing to the universal experience of physical pain. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay "Harlem" by Langston Hughes is a powerful poem that delves into the tragic consequences of racism and masterfully describes the process of deterioration of a population that has been denied the chance to realize its dreams. The poem is notable for the poet's use of powerful images of rot and decay that help depict the evolution of African American feelings in the years leading up to the)./