Harlem
By: Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink? like rotten meat Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? |
TPCASTT ANALYSIS FORM: Title: What do the words of the title suggest to you? I feel that the title suggests that Harlem is like the birth place of dream. What denotations (literal meanings) are presented in the title? The literal means of this title could be, Harlem New York or the Harlem Renissance. What connotations (figurative meanings) do the words possess? I feel that the title is impling that Harlem was the birth place of all dreams, and it was where people lived their dreams. I also feel that it is saying that one cannot give up on ones dreams because without them life would be boring. What do you predict this poem will be focused on based on this title? I predict that this poem will be about fighting for ones dreams and not letting them float away. Paraphrase: Translate the poem in your own words. Work stanza-by-stanza. What is this poem about? This poem is saying that dreams are easily postponed and often forgotten, but if one persevers their dreams they will eventually become reality. Connotation: (Literary devices) What meaning does the poem have beyond the literal? Beyond the poems literal meaning, this poem warns the reader of what can happen to a deferred dream and encourages the possibility of a dream fulfilled. What poetic (literary/figurative) devices are present in the poem? This poem has imagery, simile, personification and symbolism Why are they there? What purpose do they serve in the poem? I feel that these literary devcies are present in the poem because they require the reader to think past the literal meaning and think about what they really. Attitude: What is the speaker’s attitude? How does the speaker feel about himself, about others, and about the subject? I feel that the speaker is agitated with the general public because he realizes that many people let go of their dreams because they think that nothing will ever come of them. However he also gives hope to those who believe in their dreams because he knows that they will be fulfilled. What is the author’s attitude? How does the author feel about the speaker, about other characters, about the subject, and the reader? I feel that the author agrees with the speaker because he also feels that people give up on their dreams to easily. He wants to inspire people to keep fighting for their dreams too. Shifts: Where do the shifts in tone, setting, voice, etc. occur? After line 7 the poem shifts from bad things that happen when people put off their dreams, and then it switches back to the bad things that happen when dreams are forgotten. Also the last line asks if the dream explodes, meaning that the dream becomes reality, this is the final shift in tone. What is the purpose of each shift? These shifts enable the reader to understand the comparison of a dream lost and a dream fulfilled. How do they contribute to effect and meaning? These shifts contribute to the meaning because they make the reader realize all the things that they could lose if they give up on their dreams.The reader is effected by this poem because it allows the reader to see the potential of their dreams fulfilled. Title (again): Re-examine the poem’s title and check your guess. Were you on target? Why? I feel that I was on target because the poem was about lost dreams and how they are worth fighting for, and the title implies that dreams have the potential of becoming reality if people would only fight for them. What figurative purpose does the title have? The title symbolizes dreams and what they can become if one would keep them alive. How does the title help to preview the figurative meaning(s) of the poem? The title helps preview the figurative meanings of the poem because it represents the birth place of dreams and how great they can become if they are fulfilled Theme: What patterns do you note in the poem? The poem repeats all the unhappiness that a lost dream can bring to someone. How do these patterns help to establish an overarching focus for the poem? They help establish the reality of a lost dream and how painful it really is, which inspires people to keep their dreams alive. What is the universal idea or lesson of the poem? No matter how hopeless a dream may seem, remain steadfast in your plight because dreams are what makes life worth living. |