Blog 29

I plan on focusing my portion of my project on one of my favorite poets of all time, Langston Hughes. Hughes was an important and literary giant for African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance and was able to put the "black experience" into beautiful form. He often was the voice for our community when we didn't have one. Of all his works, the one that closest resonates with me would have to be "A Dream Deferred". It is a very dreamy, surreal poem that poses the question of what happens to a dream put on the back burner. The imagery he uses is epic and very tangible. It's alternate name is "Harlem" and also speaks to the dream that is/was Harlem as a black mecca for art, work, and high society life for blacks during this time. He pondered whether Harlem is a reality or just a fleeting dream. Was Harlem real or just a period of time? Did it have any stability? It's a wonderful piece that has always stuck out as one of the greatest of all time.