The Power of Harlem by Langston Hughes (A Dream Deferred)In our journey through life, we all have certain expectations of how we would like to be our life be. We all strive to achieve a certain level of self-realization and acceptance. So you could say that we are all living a dream. Some of these individual dreams inevitably become the collective dream of many people. In “Harlem (A Dream Deferred),” Langston Hughes uses symbolism along with powerful sensory imagery to show us the emotions he and his people experience in their quest for freedom and equality. Using questions, he builds the poem toward an exciting climax. Hughes wants to know “What happens to a dream deferred?” » He asks this question as an introduction to the possible reactions of people whose dreams do not materialize. The image he uses in the first question is that of a raisin. He asks the question; “Does it dry like a raisin in the sun?” He draws a parallel between the grape which loses its juice in the sun, and the dream which loses a little of its vitality when its realization is long delayed.. ...