Simile or Metaphor?
Quote: “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.”
Q: What figurative device is used here? What does it mean?
Metaphor. Life is compared to a staircase that is not smooth or easy. It represents struggle and hardship.
Quote: “And sometimes goin’ in the dark / Where there ain’t been no light.”
Q: What kind of imagery is used? What does the “dark” symbolize?
Visual imagery and symbolism. The dark symbolizes uncertainty, hardship, or lack of guidance.
Quote: “But all the time / I’s been a-climbin’ on.”
Q: What is the tone here?
Resilient and hopeful. Despite challenges, the speaker expresses determination.
Q: What is the central theme of “Harlem” by Langston Hughes?
Deferred dreams can cause internal and societal damage.
: Which poet wrote using African American dialect and more accessible language?
Langston Hughes
Quote: “Or does it explode?”
Q: What figurative device is this and what does it suggest?
Metaphor. It compares a dream deferred to an explosion, suggesting potential violence or emotional outburst when dreams are denied.
Quote: “Battered stair treads / And splinters.”
Q: What do these images represent?
They symbolize the rough and painful experiences in the speaker’s life journey.
Quote: “What happens to a dream deferred?”
Q: What tone is created by this line and the questions that follow?
Curious and warning. The tone becomes increasingly urgent and tense.
What is the main message of “Mother to Son”?
Perseverance through adversity and passing strength from one generation to the next.
Which poet used classical references and a more formal structure?
Countee Cullen
Quote: “Like a raisin in the sun”
Q: Identify the device and interpret the image
Simile. A deferred dream is compared to a raisin drying up. It suggests dreams can wither or lose vitality over time
Quote: “And I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind.”
Q: How is this line symbolic in Cullen’s poem?
It symbolizes the poet’s faith despite the suffering he observes, creating tension between divine goodness and real-world injustice.
Quote: “Yet do I marvel at this curious thing: / To make a poet Black, and bid him sing!”
Q: What is the tone of this final line?
Bitter yet ironic. There’s a sense of awe and disbelief at the paradox of being a Black artist expected to create beauty amid oppression
In “Yet Do I Marvel”, what contradiction does the speaker wrestle with?
That God is good yet allows suffering—especially the suffering of Black people and artists.
How do both poets use figurative language to reflect the African American experience?
Hughes uses everyday images and metaphors (like stairs and raisins) to highlight struggle and resilience. Cullen uses irony, classical allusions, and metaphor to show intellectual and emotional complexity of being Black in a racist society.