Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
Simile-comparing unlike things using “like” or “as”
Metaphor-comparing two unlike things without using “like” or “as”
Imagery-using the any of the 5 senses to evoke a strong picture
Tone-the attitude a writer takes towards a subject
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
“A Dream Deferred”
by Langston Hughes
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 explode
“Dreams”
By Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
“A Dream Deferred”
1. In "A Dream Deferred", how is each question answered?
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
A. It is answered with another question.
B. It is answered true or false.
C. It is answered with the second poem.
D. It is answered in a story.
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
2.All of the images that Hughes uses in his similes in "A Dream Deferred" have negative connotations EXCEPT:
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
A. syrupy sweet
B. heavy load
C. stink like rotten meat
D. fester like a sore
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
3. Which of the following lines seems to signal a shift in the poem?
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
A. Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun?
B."Or does it explode?"
C. Or crust and sugar over-"
D. "Does it stink like rotten meat?"
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
4. All of the following lines contain imagery EXCEPT:
A. "Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun?"
B. "Does it stink like rotten meat?"
C. "Maybe it just sags"
D. "Or crust and sugar over--/like a syrupy sweet"
“Dreams”
5. Which of the following are the two metaphors that Hughes uses in his poem "Dreams"?
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
A. Life is a broken-winged bird and a frozen field.
B. Life is a flying bird and snow.
C. Love is a barren field and a sad bird.
D. Dreams are fast and bird-like.
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
6. What advice is "Dreams" giving you about your life?
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
A. Don't try too hard or you'll lose hope when you fail.
B. Try hard, but when you fail, stop trying.
C. Never lose hope in your dreams.
D.Don't have dreams.
Name______
“DREAMS”
“A DREAM DEFERRED”
7..Despite the tone that seems to be present, “Dreams” has a positive message. How is the message positive?
- Because if you don't have dreams, you won't be let down.
- Because broken wings can heal, and the snow will melt.
- Because we're bigger than birds, and we can prepare for the weather.
- Because if we have dreams, nothing bad will ever happen.
8. Which poems do which things?
A. "Dreams" is made up of similes and "A Dream Deferred" is made up of metaphors.
B. Both poems use only metaphors.
C. Both poems use only similes.
D. "Dreams" is made up of metaphors and "A Dream Deferred" is made up of similes.
9. What do these poems have to do with the human condition?
A. Only humans have nightmares.
B. Only humans experience the hope of dreams and the disappointment of failure.
C. Animals and humans dream.
D. Though animals dream about the future, only humans have the ability to achieve their dreams.