But what happens to the dreams when they are not fulfilled? In "Dreams Deferred- by Langston Hughes, the poet is pondering the outcome of dreams one has but are not lived.
At first the poet proposes his question, "What happens to dreams deferred?- The poet uses the verb "happens- to support the deep concern and the significance of his question. "Does it dry up like a raisin?- The poet is inquiring if his dreams have just sat out in the sun. The poet's repetition of similes results in causing the imagination to roam. Does a dream left untouched dry up like a raisin the in sun? A dream lying in the sun just dries up and becomes harder and harder until eventually it is so hard it is unusable. "Or does it fester like a sore "And then run?- This simile ponders if in life when situations causes you to hold back your dreams, your life, does it react like a sore? The poet's use of the verb "fester- serves as a description of just how disgusting not living out your dream would be. It would react by coming up through the skin to make a scabby sore that would cause pain in the long run. Eventually this sore would become an infection and being to "run."" It would be so full of bacteria and lack of nurture that it would begin to run and ooze onto everything else causing one's whole life to be topsy-turvydom. Or does a "dream deferred stink like rotten meat?- When meat begins to rotten it smells up the whole house and everyone around smells the horrible aroma that would have otherwise been good if it would have been cooked. But since it was left on the counter to it would turn a piece of good meat into something detestable. Just as it will a good desirable dream into something despicable if it is left to rot and spoil. It will be smelled be everyone around and become a reject to everyone around. Or does it "crust and sugar over "like a syrupy sweet?- Just as in everything in life, every good thing has a bad side.