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Worksheets"Harlem" Quiz 2.0
Total questions: 25
Worksheet time: 50mins
Which two words best contribute to the overall mood of the poem?
raisin and sweet
rotten and fester
run and heavy
dream and sore
The poem refers to items that are which of the following?
Valued
Promised
Spoiled
Ancient
Which of the following similes supports the idea that deferred dreams can become oppressive?
Raisin in the Sun
Fester like a sore
Stink like rotten meat
Sags like a heavy load
What does Hughes compare deferred dreams to at the end of the poem?
Rotten food
A bomb
A wound
A compliment
What is the most likely reason that Hughes wrote this poem?
To persuade the reader to follow their dreams no matter what
To inform the reader of the deplorable conditions of Harlem
To entertain the reader with a story about the Harlem Renaissance
To explain what life was like for African Americans in Harlem
Which of the following is the best synonym for deferred as it is used in “Harlem”?
Delayed
Forgiven
Assured
Inspired
"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"
What type of emotion is created by the simile in these lines?
Disgust because the raisin has gone bad
Anger due to squandered dreams
Annoyance due to broken promises
Sadness due to wasted opportunity
"Or fester like a sore— And then run?"
How might a dream deferred be “like a sore”?
It can be irritating until it goes away.
It can get worse if not tended to.
It needs attention if its going to heal.
It requires care or it will become unhealthy.
"Or crust and sugar over— Like a syrupy sweet?"
What is the significance of the comparison the speaker is making in these lines?
Sweets taste good just as dreams make people feel good.
Sweets that sit out too long go bad, just like unfulfilled dreams.
Sweets that aren’t eaten go bad, just like unrealistic dreams.
Sweets are an indulgence just as great dreams are.
How does the structure the poet uses add meaning to the text?
The similes allow the reader to picture the effect of each action.
The metaphors reveal the outcome of postponing one’s desires.
The rhetorical questions lead the reader to consider the effects of postponing one’s desires.
The rhetorical questions lead the reader to imagine the outcome for each action.
What is the theme of the poem?
Without dreams, we forget what we need to do.
Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
Goals are like food and need to be stored properly.
Postponing one’s deepest desires can lead to destruction.
goal
nightmare
memory
fantasy
reality
The use of a metaphor in the last line of the poem serves (pick two answers)
a. to show that Hughes can use more than one poetic device to make his point
b. to create a sense of uncertainty because the content of explosion is unknown
c. to intensify the message because it compliments the first stanza
a and b
Lines 9 and 10 appeal to (pick two)
the sense of sight
the sense of sound
the sense of touch
the sense of smell
What is the significance of the title 'Harlem: A Dream Deferred'?
It represents the economic prosperity of Harlem during the Renaissance.
It reflects the theme of unfulfilled dreams and aspirations in the African-American community during the Harlem Renaissance.
It symbolizes the end of the Harlem Renaissance.
It highlights the success and achievements of the African-American community during the Harlem Renaissance.
What type of dream is Hughes's poem "Harlem" about?
A dream you dream while asleep
A dream about hopes and wishes
What does the term "deferred" mean and what is the part of speech? (pick two answers)
verb
noun
to grow infected
to put off or delay.
Select the answer that is an example of figurative language.
stanza
line
simile
literal meaning
What does literal meaning mean? (Denotation)
The dictionary definition
Words or phrases that mean more than their dictionary definition
a comparison using like or as
a comparison that does not use like or is
What was the main message, or theme, in Hughes's poem?
what will happen if you put off dreaming at night
what will happen if you put off working towards all your life's hopes and wishes
you can't dream at all
dreams never hardly come true
Choose the answer that is an example of a simile from the poem.
You are my dream come true.
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
It is a sore on my arm.
I like that it is a dry raisin.
What are the two things being compared in this simile from the poem?
"Maybe it sags like a heavy load."
hopes and wishes to a heavy load
a heavy box and your nightmares
What is the literal meaning of the simile "stink like rotten meat"
it spoils and smells
it tastes delicious
it goes bad but is still really good for you
it tastes nasty
What is the figurative meaning of the simile "stink like rotten meat"?
your dreams stink
you don't really like your dreams
your dreams go bad if you don't work toward them
you work hard to make all you dreams come true
Based on this poem, does Hughes think that deferring a dream leads to anything good?
yes
no
