What does stink like rotten meat mean? 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 does it mean to stink like rotten meat?
Hughes continues his questioning by using another simile for postponed dreams, ” Does it stink like rotten meat?” Hughes is trying to convey that over a period of time a person may become so tired of the dream that they have postponed that it would actually start to stink, they would start to hate it, and want to get ...
Does it stink like rotten meat simile?
Simile: It is a figure of speech used to compare something with something else to make the meanings clear to the readers. For example, “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”, “Does it stink like rotten meat” and “like a syrupy sweet.” Here are the broken dreams are compared to decaying food items.
What is the meaning of Langston Hughes poem Harlem?
The poem is about dreams, goals for the future and what it means to put them on hold . The poem has also been referred to as “a dream deferred.” Many people work hard to accomplish their dreams, while others put their dreams on hold due to various life circumstances.
What does Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet mean?
Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet?” (lines 6-8). These lines describe that when an individual has a deferred dream it can carry a stench of ‘rotten meat’ because they have been carrying around their dream for a long time .
What is meaning of rotten meat?
1. affected with rot; decomposing, decaying, or putrid . 2. breaking up, esp through age or hard use; disintegrating. rotten ironwork.
What does the last line of Harlem 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.
Does it stink like rotten meat is an example of what kind of figurative language?
What does “does it stink like rotten meat?” mean? What type of figurative language is it? Does the dream smell rancid, like rotten food? It is a simile .
How is the dream compared to rotten meat?
One of the literary term used in this poem is simile. A dream deferred is compared to a raisin, a sore, rotten meat, a syrupy sweet and a heavy load . The actions linked to these items describe what may happen to the dream, such as rotting and dying or weighing down the voices inside their head.
Does it stink like rotten meat quizlet?
What does Hughes mean when he says “Does it stink like rotten meat?” He means does it become unpleasant ? What does Hughes mean when he says “Or crust and sugar over– like a syrupy sweet?” He means does it seem like a fairytale/unrealistic, sugar-coted?
What does Maybe it just sags 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 .
Why is the poem Harlem significant to the black community?
Why was the poem Harlem significant to the Black community? It represented the Black view of life in the late 1800s . It represented the postponement of Black dreams. It represented the migration of Black Americans to Harlem.
What is the best explanation of these lines from Harlem What happens to a dream deferred Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Hughes writes, “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” (Lines 1-3). Langston Hughes uses this simile to explain to the reader that your ambitions can’t be forgotten about because they will deteriorate and turn into nothing . Hughes also says, “Or fester like a sore and then run?
What does a raisin drying in the sun mean?
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.
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun metaphor?
Running Symbolism
Each of the similes and the metaphor are symbolic of what can happen in the society that defers the dream of equality. If it dries up like a raisin in the sun, the suggestion is that it has been deferred by the passage of time and has lost its life, or the inspiration that sustains it.
What does A Dream Deferred mean in Harlem?
Harlem’ (A Dream Deferred) is one of a number of poems Hughes wrote that relates to the lives of African-American people in the USA. The short poem poses questions about the aspirations of a people and the consequences that might arise if those dreams and hopes don’t come to fruition .
What does rotten meat look like?
Meat that has gone bad usually has a sticky feel to it. Resulting from bacteria, you may notice the appearance of black or green areas, which clearly means fungi have started to grow. Use your time to take a closer look at the meat. Most people associate fresh minced meat with a bright red colour.
What does rotten steak smell like?
What Does Bad Steak Smell Like? If your steak has gone bad, it will have a distinct smell that smells like eggs, ammonia, or downright sour . Smelling a slight metallic or bloody smell is normal for fresh red meat.
What is the synonym of rotten?
corrupt, disgusting, moldy, noxious, overripe, putrid, rancid, rotting, sour, spoiled, stale, crooked, amiss, crummy, dirty, diseased, lousy, nasty, unlucky, unpleasant .
What does Or fester like a sore and then run mean?
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 happens to a raisin in the sun?
A Raisin in the Sun ends with the Younger family leaving their longtime apartment in Chicago’s South Side neighborhood in order to move into a house they’ve purchased in the otherwise all-white neighborhood of Clybourne Park.
What does it mean for a dream to fester?
Or fester like a sore— Eww, “fester.” Whenever we hear that word, we can’t help but think of an open wound full of puss and blood. Usually, things fester when they aren’t healing or when they aren’t being cared for properly . Here, our speaker suggests a deferred dream won’t heal or go away.
How does Langston Hughes use imagery to develop the theme of the poem?
Another function of imagery which appears in the twenty poems of Langston Hughes is to create the movement in the poem, the readers’ imagination and to build the readers’ inner feeling, the smell and taste, and to feel the fictional world .
What literary devices are used in Harlem by Langston Hughes?
Hughes relies on alliteration, similes, and anaphora in the poem. Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound. Similes use like, as, or than to make comparisons. Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning successive groups of words.
What is a figurative sentence?
Figurative language makes meaning by asking the reader or listener to understand something by virtue of its relation to some other thing, action, or image . Figurative language can be contrasted with literal language, which describes something explicitly rather than by reference to something else.
Does it stink like rotten meat Langston Hughes?
— Langston Hughes
Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over– like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.
What are the metaphors in the poem dreams?
In “Dreams,” Langston Hughes develops his central metaphor in two ways. He compares life without dreams to a broken-winged bird that cannot fly and to a barren field frozen with snow . Since the images are so plain and concrete, the metaphor is clear: life without dreams is no good.
What type of figurative language is used in A Dream Deferred?
Written in 1951, Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem” (also known as “A Dream Deferred”) uses figurative language, primarily similes and imagery , to create a powerful image of what happens when a wish is left unfulfilled.
What is the message of the poem A Dream Deferred?
Discussion This poem “Harlem (A Dream Deferred)” by Langston Hughes clearly brings the theme of dream. In this poem, Hughes wants to tell the readers, what would happen to a dream when we—as human beings—put aside and defer it .
How does the title Harlem relate to the poem?
The title, “Harlem,” places the poem in this historically black and immigrant neighborhood in New York City , while the “dream” could be any dream that those in Harlem have had: a dream for a better life, for opportunity, for equality—most broadly, for access to the American Dream itself.
What is the attitude of the poem Harlem?
One of the tones of the poem “Harlem” is frustration . The poets uses negative words like “fester” and “run”, and phrases like “stink like rotten meat” to convey his frustrated tone.
What does a 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 happens to a dream?
The whole brain is active during dreams, from the brain stem to the cortex. Most dreams occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep . This is part of the sleep-wake cycle and is controlled by the reticular activating system whose circuits run from the brain stem through the thalamus to the cortex.
What do the last two images of sagging and exploding imply?
The poem was meant to be referring to the dreams of Blacks around the period of 1950s. However, it’s equally relevant to the dreams of anyone. The last images of sagging and exploding try to ask whether a dream shall ‘sag’ because of the weight that the dream bear due to its importance, just like a heavy load.
What is the main theme of the poem?
The theme of a poem is the message an author wants to communicate through the piece . The theme differs from the main idea because the main idea describes what the text is mostly about. Supporting details in a text can help lead a reader to the main idea.
Where does raisin in the Sun get its name?
The play’s title is taken from “Harlem,” a poem by Langston Hughes , which examines the question “What happens to a dream deferred?/Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun?” This penetrating psychological study of a working-class black family on the south side of Chicago in the late 1940s reflected Hansberry’s own ...
