Poetry Analysis: "Harlem"

Although “Harlem,” by Langston Hughes is a very short poem, it is still very descriptive and meaningful. In the poem, Hughes is describing the feelings of frustration that African Americans feel during the turn of the Civil Rights movement. He uses similes to describe the possible different feelings one could be feeling at this time. “Dry up like a raisin in the son,” describes how some African Americans let their hopes shrivel up and ultimately die. “Or does it explode,” could be describing how some people turned hateful and “exploded” with violence. Not only does the poem describe to readers how many African Americans were feeling, but it also paints a picture in readers’ minds of how Harlem looked during this time. Possibly, it was an unpleasant scene to see or smell as a running sore or rotten meat is.