The question Hughes poses in line one, "What happens to a dream deferred?" sets the environment for the plot and symbolism of the rest of the poem. As Hughes answers the question, he asks if a dream deferred dries up like a raisin in the sun. This symbol means that a dream that is disintegrating and dying like a raisin left out in the sun. If a raisin is left out in the sun too long, it will inevitably die. The same principle can apply to a dream left in the mind too long. The envir

In the poem, "Dream Deferred", by Langston Hughes, the extensive use of symbolism expressed the dream of racial equality. It illustrated the condition of a dream put on hold indefinitely. This poem was also put into the beginning of the play, "Raisin In the Sun", which also describes the battle for racial equality. The poem, "Dream Deferred", can be related to any dream, even if it is not the dream Hughes was writing about. A dream deferred is a dream that is on the road to self-destruction.

The final line, "Or does it explode?" is representing an explosion similar to one of a bomb. When something explodes, it is blown to pieces which cannot be put back together, or only with a great amount of time, labor, and difficulty. This is what happened to the "Dream Deferred".

The title, "Dream Deferred", is a symbol in itself. It represents the dream of racial equality. It also can be used to

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 614
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)