Langston Hughes

1
Langston Hughes

• Selected poem study
• English 11
• Harlem Renaissance Unit

2
Know the Meanings

• Deferred-put off postponed
• Fester-infected swollen and filled with pus

3
Mother to Son

• Well, son, Ill tell you
• Life for me aint been no crystal stair.
• Its had tacks in it,
• And splinters,
• And boards torn up,
• And places with no carpet on the floor---
• Bare.

4
Mother to Son continued

• But all the time
• Ise been a-climbin on,
• And reachin landins,
• And turnin corners,
• And sometimes goin in the dark
• Where there aint been no light.

5
Mother to Son continued

• So boy, dont you turn back.
• Dont you set down on the steps
• Cause you finds its kinder hard.
• Dont you fall now---
• For Ise still goin, honey,
• Ise still climbin,
• And life for me aint been no crystal stair.
• (Prentice Hall, Hughes 518)

6
Questions

• What advice does the speaker give to her son?
• What does the mother suggest has been the course
  of her own life?
• What is the tone of this poem?
• Give some examples of language the poet uses
  which is not considered acceptable in standard
  English.
• Why does Hughes use this variety (dialect) of
  language?
• What is the son likely to do if he really listens
  to his mothers advice?
• What character trait does this mother definitely
  show?

7
Dream Deferred

• 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 just explode?

8
Questions

• What does deferred mean?
• Name four things that a deferred dream is
  compared to in this poem.
• Is this poem built around a series of metaphors
  or similes?
• What is the theme of the poem?

9
Stop here for Mini-unit
10
In Time of Silver Rain

• Note about this poem
• Hughes wrote this poem in dedication to
  playwright Lorraine Hansberry when she told him
  she had cancer. He was greatly influenced by her
  work and was also inspired to write Dream
  Deferred after her character Walter Younger in
• A Raisin in the Sun, her classic play.

11
In Time of Silver Rain

• In time of silver rain
• The earth puts forth new life again,
• Green grasses grow
• And flowers lift their heads,
• And over all the plain
• The wonder spreads
• Of Life,
• Of Life,
• Of Life!

12
In Time of Silver Rain cont.

• In time of silver rain
• The butterflies lift silken wings
• To catch a rainbow cry,
• And trees put for new leaves to sing
• In joy beneath the sky
• As down the roadway
• Passing boys and girls
• Go singing, too,
• In time of silver rain
• When spring
• And life
• Are new.
• (http//oldpoetry.com)