The poem “What happens to a dream deferred? ” by Longboats Hughes leaves the reader wondering as to what happens to their dreams that were never fulfilled. It causes the reader to take a good look at themselves because it causes the reader to really wonder. Was an effort really made to achieve their dreams? Were the dreams attached to goals? Why weren’t the dreams ever fulfilled? Is there still time to fulfill these dreams? This poem is like a wakeup call to those whose dreams were never oilfield.
Dreams are a goal in life it is not merely something that comes to us as we sleep. Dreams is the driving force that keeps us going. Dreams are the reason we wake up in the morning to go to work and go to school. Sometimes a dream could be the desire of wanting to marry someone special that was never fulfilled, and kept us wondering why it never happened. A dream could be purchasing a new home or buying a new car. Regardless to the dream we all nave them and dreams is the reason why most of us wake up in the morning. Thesis statement: A dream deferred goes not mean a dream denied.
A dream could be a career goal or it could be something as simple as wanting to loose wait or gain more muscle. Either way we look upon it, dreams is a force that keeps us going. An unfulfilled dream causes depression low self-esteem and in some people weight gain. In the beginning of the poem the writer uses a question “Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun? The writer uses this question to open the eyes of the reader. The writer also uses this question as a metaphor to illustrate that a deferred ream turns into something that is different from what it was.
Some people believe that God speaks to them in dreams, therefore when the dream is postponed what really happens to the dream? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun and turns into something else? Or is it that the writer wants to the reader to see that there is still hope for their dreams because a grape turning into a raisin is not a bad thing. It simply turned into something else. The raisin could still be eaten and still taste good. It goes well with cereal and can be used in a cake or cookie batter.
Some cultures use raisins as a seasoning in their food. Raisins are also sweet and do not go bad. Every person in life whether they are women, children or grown men have a dream that they want fulfilled. Dreams are a driving force that we use to hope for a better future. However what happens to a person when the dream is deferred? That is what the writer of the poem wants us to ask ourselves what happens? Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun? Drying up in the sun does not sound like a good thing. The writer makes it the situation sound hopeless.
What comes to mind when one thinks of something drying in the sun? Maybe it reminds us of some of the agony of being in the desert heat and thirsting for water. One may think of the discomforts of the hot sun and needing to cool off under a tree for some shade. Some may want to take a cold shower to freshen up. The heat will make us sweat and smelly giving us the desire to want to freshen up. Or fester like a sore. Festering like a sore sounds like a sore that does not go away. Like a blister that Just gets worse regardless of the attention one may be giving it.
Maybe the writer wanted the reader to sense what it is like being in an uncomfortable situation, like being in a situation of despair the feeling of hopelessness. And then run? Then the blister runs in other words the writer wants the reader to ask him or herself what could possibly get worse. First one dries up like a raisin then having to deal with a bad sore that refuses to heal. A blister that is now running is a blister that is now out of control. Does it stink like rotten meat? Stinking like rotten meat is meat that has been sitting round for to long and now it stinks and is no longer edible.
If one tries to eat the rotten meat one will surely get sick from the bad meat. Rotten meat also reminds the reader of the bad smell that evades the air very unappealing smell. When one smells bad meat the last thing that comes to mind is eating that bad meat. One may also smell rotten meat trot a dead animal laying at the side to the street, like a dead cat or dog that was run over by a car and left there to rot with flies all over it and drying up in the hot sun. Or crust and sugar over-like a syrupy sweet?
Now the temperature of the poem changes from rotten meat to something sweet. The writer is giving the reader a sense of hope, maybe the dream never died. Maybe there is hope for the dreamer. There is hope for the dream and something sweet is going to happen. The writer wanted to change the mood of the poem by adding something sweet into the mix. Maybe the writer wanted the reader to keep their hopes alive and don’t give up on their dreams. Maybe it Just sags like a heavy load. Again the mood changes in the poem; moieties a dream could be a heavy load on our backs.
Is it best to Just let it go and move on with our lives? Sometimes a dream could be demanding a lot from us. Sometimes a dream could be to risky. The time and sacrifice of being away from the family for long periods of time could take a toll on ones body and mind. Should one continue carrying this heavy load or should the dreamer Just let it go. How much longer can the dreamer carry on with this heavy load on their backs? The writer is giving the reader a lot to think about when it comes to holding on to our dreams.
