What Happens To A Dream Delayed? Is one of several poems written by Hughes that deal with the life of African Americans in the United States. The brief poem raises issues concerning a person's desires and hopes, as well as the consequences that may result if such goals and wishes do not come true. "What happens to a dream delayed?" has been interpreted as referring to a man who dreams of a beautiful woman but who does not pursue her because of other priorities in his life.
Hughes was born on August 25, 1835, in Lumberton, North Carolina. He was the second son of former slaves Thomas and Nancy Ann Hughes. His father died when he was eight years old, and he was mainly raised by his mother. He received some education from private tutors before going to live with his uncle in Baltimore, Maryland. Here he met and became friends with many prominent black poets and writers, including James Weldon Johnson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Henry Timrod.
In 1858, at the age of twenty-one, Hughes moved back home to help run the family farm. Two years later, he married Aurelia Stevens. They had three children together: Lucinda, Robert, and Virginia. In 1865, after the end of the American Civil War, Hughes began writing poems for newspapers and magazines, which led to a career as a poet. He also worked as a civil servant in the Reconstruction South.
Langston Hughes' poem "Dream Deferred" is one man's depiction of his dreams amid a tough time. Data from Expert Answers The speaker of this poem is attempting to address the question, "What happens to a dream that is postponed?" (first line) The term "deferred" refers to something that has been postponed or withheld. Thus, the dream that has been deferred will not come true.
In addition to its literal meaning, this phrase can also be interpreted as meaning lost opportunity. For example, if you ask someone why they didn't go to college, they might say it was because they "deferred" their admission into college. In this case, the word "defer" means to put off going to college, and the person who says this is talking about the fact that they were too young at the time they applied to colleges to be accepted. They lost an opportunity by not applying to more schools when they were younger.
Another example would be if you tell someone you're "deferring" on a purchase until you can afford it. In this case, the person knows that you will not buy now, but will save up and buy later. You have lost an opportunity to buy things now that you can't pay for.
At first glance, this phrase may seem straightforward, but there are many different ways to interpret it. However, no matter how you look at it, it always means the same thing: lost opportunity.
Harlem, also known as A Dream Deferred, is a poem written by Langston Hughes that was released in 1951 as part of Montage of a Dream Deferred, an extended poetry cycle depicting life in Harlem. The 11-line poem starts, "What happens to a dream postponed?"
Hughes' father died when he was nine years old, and his mother could not afford to send him to school. At age 14, he began working as a printer's assistant on New York City newspapers where he met other poets such as Carl Van Vechten and James Weldon Johnson. It was through Johnson that he came into contact with W. E. B. Du Bois who encouraged him to write more than just newspaper articles.
In 1939, at the age of 34, he published his first collection of poems, A Little Book of Poems, which included some of his most famous works including Over Here! ; The Ways of Whitey; and Why I Love America. However, due to World War II, there were no opportunities for him to travel abroad so he turned his attention to writing about other countries. In 1947, he went to France where he learned about the Holocaust and wrote about his experiences in Europe after the war. Back in the United States, he continued to write about different cultures around the world until his death in 1967 at the age of 75.
The "dream postponed" (1) alludes to African Americans' equality and fair treatment. Langston Hughes is well-known for his writings against Jim Crow laws, which caused many people to lose hope for a post-racial America. In addition, Larry Bird was a great basketball player who suffered from epilepsy; he died at age 41. This dream also represents the loss of a loved one.
Bird's death left behind many unanswered questions, including how many more dreams he would have been able to realize. Although we will never know the answer to this question, we can take comfort in knowing that his life was not in vain. His legacy continues to inspire people around the world through sports, music, and art.
Other examples of delayed dreams include those of Martin Luther King Jr., who wanted to see racial equality in America before he died, and that of Nelson Mandela, who wanted to be freed from prison before he passed away. Both men's dreams were not fulfilled until after they died.
Finally, there is your own dream. Has it ever happened before that you had a dream and then later realized it came true? If so, you should think about what effect the realization has had on you. Did it make you feel good or bad about yourself? These are just some examples of how seeing your delayed dream come true can affect your mood.
Langston Hughes constructs a major metaphor surrounding a dream in the poem "Harlem" by linking a dream to many images of death and devastation in order to inquire what happens to a "dream postponed," or a desire that has been delayed in fulfillment. The speaker in the poem asks himself if his dream will ever be fulfilled, and if so, will it be before he dies.
Hughes uses strong language to describe his disappointment with life in Harlem, including references to "shit" and "hell." He also expresses his concern about never being able to realize his dream of going to Europe. Despite these negative feelings, the speaker in the poem decides to delay fulfilling this dream until later in order to pursue other opportunities that may come along. By doing this, the speaker is able to achieve some degree of success despite the fact that he remains in Harlem and does not travel abroad.
The main idea behind this poem by Langston Hughes is that we should not be disappointed if our dreams do not immediately come true, because they may still come true in the future. Even though the speaker in the poem wants to go to Europe right away, he accepts reality and delays his trip for several years after he gets a job at a newspaper office where he can write about anything he wants.