Pages 620 and 621

 Born in Missouri  First African American to have a “strictly literary career”  Ability to express “the spirit of Black America”  Influenced by his grandmother and her stories and by the Harlem Renaissance (1920s)

 deferred: (adj.) put off until a future time  First word of the poem:  Harlem  “What happens to a dream deferred?” means:  What happens to a dream that isn’t realized?  What does Hughes compare a dream deferred to? (series of similes)  a raisin in the sun (dry up)  a sore  rotten meat  syrupy sweet (crust over)  heavy load  Last line: Metaphor? why is it italicized?  explode- violent act bomb  relates to Harlem (people)  Message (Theme) of the poem:  postponing dreams can lead to frustration/violence

 Metaphors:  When dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird  when dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow  The speaker tells the reader to:  hold on to dreams… don’t let them go  What is the theme of “Dreams”  A life without dreams is nothing-- dreams are what give life meaning… dreams give us hope