“ Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes- Imagery

 In this poem imagery plays a huge part in describing what happens to dreams when other ambitions take over, and that dream is no longer sought after. Hughes discusses many ways in which a dream can be forgotten. It could have dried up in the sun showing the reader an image of not only the raising drying up but also the dream getting old and soon useless to the dreamer. It could fester like a sore illustrating how if left on confronted or underachieved dreams can just sit there nagging at the subconscious until forgot. When dreams are compared to the stench of rotten meat Hughes is implying that a dream unfulfilled is a missed opportunity, like rotten meat that could have been used for nourishment. These images have there own significance, but unite together to make the reader understand that a forgotten dream is tragic. This make the tone of this poem sorrowful, because of the diction used in the imagery, like "dry up", "fester", "rotten", "crust", and "explode". And, this imagery including the tone delivers a theme, that says you must never give up on a dream.