What Is The Mood Of The Poem Harlem By Langston Hughes

For my poetry journal I chose my first poem to be Harlem by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes was an American born poet who lived in Harlem, New York from February 1902 until May 1967. Hughes was a Playwright, novelist and social activist. Hughes was considered the leader of the Harlem Renaissance which was the name given to the cultural, artistic and social explosion that took place between the end of World War 1 and the mid-1930s. Hughes poem showed me what truly happens when you don’t chase your dreams. My first reaction to this poem was wow. Hughes uses vivid imagery and a relatable topic to capture the reader instantly. The idea of writing about abandoned dreams was a topic I thoroughly enjoyed due to the fact that it is such a common practice for one to stop pursuing their dreams. Hughes use of figurative language, rhyme and rhythm are very captivating and make the poem very interesting to read as well as to analyze.

In the first stanza Hughes used intense imagery to help create an extremely detailed picture in the readers mind. The 4th line says “or fester like a sore” (4). This line to me creates an image of an open wound filled with puss and blood that hasn’t properly healed. I think that Hughes s trying to say that if a dream is left and not tended to it will never go away and will be with you for the rest of your life. The use of rhyme in Hughes poem makes the poem makes me enjoy the poem more because it makes it more song like, which makes it very fun to read. Hughes also uses interesting comparisons in the poem. Hughes says does a dream “stink like rotten meat’ (6). This comparison of the stench of rotting meat gives the reader a thought in my head about what happens if a dream is unpursued. The description that Hughes uses creates a sense that the smell of rotting meat is right in front of