Harlem by LH- RITS Intro

Open Ended

Have you ever wanted something so badly, or had a dream so big that you put everything you had into achieving it? Now, think about that dream, that goal, that desire: what happens when you don't achieve it when you expect to? Or what happens if something else comes along and you have to put that dream off until later?

“Harlem” by Langston Hughes

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?

Draw

Highlight and label the similes

●Highlight the imagery and describe its connotation in the margins

TONE:
The similes, images,
and punctuation all
work together to
share a message
with the audience.
As we combine
these elements
together, we can
start to hear the
tone, the emotional
energy, that a poem
has to give.

Collectively, these are the images Hughes uses in his poem. On the
next slide, let’s discuss some of the possible tone words that could be

used to describe the poem.

Poll

What words could be used to describe the tone of the poem?

• vengeful

• remorseful

• hateful

• defeated

• curious

Audio Response

What do you think A Raisin in the Sun might be about? Record your answer.

Open Audio Recorder