Langston Hughes Harlem

In Langston Hughes's poem Harlem, he attempts to exemplify the extent to which dreams and aspirations of African Americans during the 1950s are thwarted. Hughes was one of the most famous writers of the Harlem Renaissance and his different writings serve and have served as sending extremely influential and impactful messages and themes to American citizens. His poem Harlem is a perfect example that brings out his overall message he had attempted to express as a person. Nevertheless, Hughes main theme of this particular poem expresses the idea that--prevalent to the 1950s--America defers black people’s dreams and aspirations for the American dream, which may lead to consequences if allowed. In order to reveal his theme, Langston Hughes incorporates

First, Hughes style serves as a technique to reveal theme as he is fairly simplistic and uses a free verse style in writing this poem. Additionally, the line lengths do not follow any sort of pattern, which all come together to help exemplify theme. Also, the diction that Hughes utilizes is quite simplistic, and straightforward, which leads to an easier understanding of the theme. Lastly, the imagery that Hughes incorporates serve to paint pictures and create thoughts that the reader will ponder on and lead them to an understanding of theme along with the predominant use of similes. In Langston Hughes’s Harlem, he utilizes certain style, diction, and imagery in order to reveal his theme. One aspect of this poem that helps to identify and

Hughes takes advantage of similes in this poem in order to develop his theme. For example, in line 2-3 he states “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” which is referring to black people’s “dreams” during the 1950s. By using this simile it paints a picture in the reader's mind how grapes can be a wonderful and refreshing fruit, but it goes to waste and shrinks as it rests in the sun. This plays a huge part in developing theme as the “dreams” are symbolized by the grapes that can be diminished and deprived of life, just as black people can be robbed of their dreams if they don't do anything about it and let it continue to occur just like letting a grape continue to shrivel to a raisin. Another simile he utilizes is in line six, he states “Does it stink like rotten meat?” Which is another powerful simile that paints an image in a readers head. This quote pertains rotten meat, which can not be altered in any way to make it fresh again, once it rots, its gone for good. Hughes ties this in with his theme since he attempts to stress that if blacks continue to let their dreams be thwarted, it may escalate to a degree of no return, and they may never have an opportunity to follow their own aspirations in life, just as when meat rots it is at a point of no return. One more powerful simile Hughes utilizes is when he states