Harlem (poem)
1951 poem by Langston Hughes / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Harlem (poem)?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
"Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred")[2] is a poem by Langston Hughes. These eleven lines ask, "What happens to a dream deferred?", providing reference to the African-American experience. It was published as part of a longer volume-length poem suite in 1951 called Montage of a Dream Deferred, but is often excerpted from the larger work. The play A Raisin in the Sun was titled after a line in the poem.
Harlem | |
---|---|
by Langston Hughes | |
First published in | Montage of a Dream Deferred |
Publication date | 1951 |
Lines | 11 |
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?[1]