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In the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes, which literary element best supports the central idea?

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In Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem," the literary element that best supports the central idea is the simile. Hughes uses similes to compare a deferred dream to various unpleasant images such as a "raisin in the sun," a "festering sore," and "rotten meat." These vivid comparisons emphasize the negative consequences of delaying one's dreams, effectively conveying the poem's message about the importance of pursuing dreams to avoid them becoming burdensome or destructive.

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If we look at the poem, we notice that two main literary devices are central to it: the question and the simile. A simile is a comparison that uses the words like or as.

Examining the poem, we understand that it is structured through a series of questions that are never answered. It is framed with an opening question that comprises it own stanza, and it ends with a closing question that also comprises its own stanza—and is italicized for extra emphasis.

In between, the body of the poem consists of questions posed as similes. The similes compare a dream that is delayed to various unpleasant images: a dried out raisin in the sun, a running sore, the stink of rotten meat, a crusted sugary syrupy sweet, and a heavy load that sags.

Although Hughes uses both questions and similes to structure the poem, I would say the central...

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literary device is the simile. This is because the unpleasant similes stick in the mind in the way the questions simply do not. The poem would probably have a similar impact if the questions were turned into statements, but not without the somewhat sickening comparisons that make us shrink away from the idea of denying people their dreams.

I have copied the poem below so that you can evaluate it for yourself:

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?

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Throughout the poem, Langston Hughes is using comparisons to show what could happen if one defers or puts off one’s dreams. Hughes compares that deferred dream to a dried up “raisin in the sun,” to a festering sore, to the stench of rotten meat, to a crusting over of syrup, to a heavy load, and finally, to something that will explode. All of these comparisons use a figure of speech called a simile to get across the main idea of the poem. According to Hughes, one must not put off one’s dreams if they want to experience any success or fulfillment. He urges other African Americans to hold onto their dreams and not let them become a burden. His use of literary devices, primarily the simile, provides imagery and a different way of looking at what can happen if one defers their hopes and wishes by comparing dreams to something other than what it is, a physical thing.

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