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Does it stink like rotten meat Or crust and sugar over meaning?
The poem suggests that the deferred dream could “dry up” or “fester like a sore”; it might “stink like rotten meat … Or crust and sugar over / like a syrupy sweet.” Each of these images suggests something spoiling, losing potency, or outright decaying—which is perhaps exactly the outcome a racist society, hoping to …
What is the metaphor in Harlem by Langston Hughes?
The metaphor compares a dream deferred to a bomb. The momentum for the dream may continue to build and, having nowhere to go, finally explode. Alternately, the dreamer’s anger may cause the dream to explode into action.
What does and then run mean in Harlem?
If the dream does not dry up, maybe it will “fester like a sore-/ And then run.” If you have a sore, you want it to dry up so it will heal, but if it festers and runs, that means it is infected and will take longer to heal.
What does sag like a heavy load mean?
The poem asks if a postponed dream sags like a heavy load. All readers can empathize with the sensation of trying to carry too many heavy things at once; stumbling becomes inevitable. A heavy psychological or emotional load of dreams about which readers feels hopeless can become unbearable.
What does like a syrupy sweet mean?
However, some people might have a dream that is enticing and sweet when accomplished so it is considered ‘syrupy sweet’.
What does the line or does it explode mean?
One of the most ready-to-hand interpretations of that final line—“Or does it explode?”—is to think of the explosion as a riot, a reflection of the possibility that the oppressive conditions marginalized communities in Harlem and across Jim Crow America face might lead to open rebellion.
What does syrupy sweet mean?
Syrupy things are very, very sweet—probably a little too sweet! A syrupy dessert might make your teeth hurt. Things that are literally syrupy have the drippy, sticky sweetness of molasses or honey.
What is the meaning of Harlem?
British Dictionary definitions for Harlem Harlem. / (ˈhɑːləm) / noun. a district of New York City, in NE Manhattan: now largely a Black ghetto.
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun meaning?
He continues by stating this simile:”Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” Using this simile he is stating that dreaming can be good or bad. A raisin is a grape that has been dehydrated by the sun. Hughes is conveying that dreams can suck the life out of a person, mentally dehydrating them.