"Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes

# 11

Sure the similes add character to dreams that are postponed; the similes give a negative connotation to the positive idea of having dreams. But it was the metaphor at the end which stuck out to me:

"Or does it explode?"

Not only is it italicized, but the metaphor is saved for the very end of the poem. No explanation is given for the explosion of a dream, but the image is vivid. The metaphor is presented to propose the worst possible cause of a deferred dream: violence. "Explode" connotes a destructive meaning of the dream. Since Hughes sought equal rights for blacks, it can be inferred but not necessarily justified that he wrote this with the dream of equality in mind. If the dream is put off too long, people might become weary about the fight for equal civil rights. But if the dream festers and then explodes, the search and yearning for equality might result in violence. Langston Hughes foresaw violence that would come after his time.