LANGSTON Hughes By : Gabriela Jimenez

Born in Joplin Missouri on February 1st of 1902 In 1924 Langston enrolled in Columbia University where he planned to study engineering but shortly drops out and travels to Africa. During this time he writes and publishes “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” In 1932 He goes to the Soviet Union to make a film depicting the plight of many blacks living in the United States He also wrote a play “Mulatto” that opened on Broadway in 1935 Hughes died on May 22, 1967 at the age of 65 due to complications of surgery related to prostate cancer.

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Harlem (A Dream Deferred) By: Langston Hughes (1951) 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 is a goal that has been put on hold. Think of a grape as the goal you want to achieve and the raisin being the goal after it has been postponed. This explains how a postponed dream can turn ugly and one can eventually be ashamed of it The simile used in his quote relates an unpleasant odor to the smell of meat that has gone bad. It becomes overwhelming This paints a mental picture of what might happen to someone’s goal once it has been postponed for too long This part of the poem is more active and also shows how overwhelming the pursuit of this goal may be.

Have you ever heard of Langston Hughes? How do you think it feels like to give up on a dream? Why?