The first couplet compares a dream deferred to "a raisin in the sun". If you put a raisin in the sun it's going to dry up and no longer taste very good and it will eventually evaporate away. When you set aside a dream, you are risking letting it evaporate away. This couplet uses a simile ("like a raisin in the sun") as its imagery.
A simile is defined as comparing two unlike things using the words like or as.
The second couplet compares a dream deferred to a sore that festers. A festering sore is something that most people do not want, although we sometimes must experience them. Just as with a dream that does not come true, we may not always want it to happen this way, but sometimes thats just the way it goes. This couplet also uses a simile ("like a sore").
The next line compares the dream to rotten meat. Rotten meat is something that was once good, but it went bad over time. This same thing can also happen with dreams, one day you think it's a really awesome dream, but over time, the dream can become something that you do not want. This line also uses a simile ("like rotten meat").
The following couplet compares a deferred dream to a syrupy sweet. While I am not entirely sure what a syrupy sweet is, I do know that it is something that does not sound overly appealing. Once again we get the idea that a dream deferred is quite unpleasant. We also see the use of similes again ("like a syrupy sweet").
The final couplet compares a dream deferred to a heavy load or something that sags over you. A heavy load is usually something that is bothering you or upsetting you in some way. A dream that is not being resolved can be quite a heavy load, something that you want to get rid of, but your not sure how to do it. This couplet has our final simile in it as well ("like a heavy load").
The last line of this poem, "Or does it explode?", is our one and only metaphor in this poem. Things that are potentially explosive, usually have had something building up over a long period of time. A dream that has been postponed or delayed has just been sitting there for a while and allowed many bad things to build up, ultimately leading to explosion. The main point of this poem is that having to postpone your dreams and desires, for whatever reason, can eventually lead to destruction.
2 comments:
I completely agree with your statements, but also have something to add. I see in the structure of the poem, that there are quick questions asked, with no answer, which builds suspense, and in the last line when it mentions "explode" the central question of poem(first line) also explodes. It evokes a sense of frustration and a metaphor that like a deferred dream, a question unanswered is also bad, which can in fact be a dream. The tension builds, and so does the imagery. It goes from a point of alienation, looking at a raisin in the sun, to feeling a sore and craving meat (but has unfortunately gone bad) and then feeling that sticky sweetness, which is good to taste, like a dream, but bad to feel when it stays with you and is deferred (stickiness). The heavy, burdensome load of a dream is the final powerful image, that strongly creates the final tension before the dream, and unanswered question "explode."
This is A great analysis of the poem "Harlem" The author really uses figurative language to convey his thoughts. Specifically he uses similes to bring his point across. Although this poem is short it is syrupy sweet. I think that the authors use of questions is to bring a sense of engagement toward the poem. If you have a question you tend to pay closer attention to the poem. As you mentioned the last question brings up the main idea of the poem: having to postpone your dreams can pack up desires and other build up and those can eventually explode.
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