Harlem Review

PART A: Which sentence describes the central idea of the poem? [RL 7.2]

• Some dreams need more time to develop and grow.

• It’s difficult for people to keep their dreams alive.

• Every dream that is delayed results in the same outcome.

• Dreams that are delayed could have negative consequences on one’s life.

How do the similes that the speaker uses throughout the poem contribute to the negative portrayal of deferred dreams? [RL 7.4]

• By giving the reader a negative image about food.

• By emphasizing how the image of decaying food is directly related to the concept of pausing one’s dreams.

• By suggesting that dreams have an expiration date­­much like food.

• By comparing the concept of rotting meat with dreams if you end them abruptly.

How does the structure of the poem contribute to the overall meaning of the poem? [RL 7.5]

• The author uses questions as answers which detail different negative outcomes of deferring a dream.

• The author uses cause and effect structure to show that there are positive and negative outcomes of postponing dreams.

• The author uses chronological order to show the major consequences of deferring dreams.

• The author provides multiple solutions to solving the problem of postponing dreams.