A Dream Deferred - 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?

- The imagery here is incredible - a raisin is already dry but left in the sun becomes inedible...leave your dream for too long and you will no longer remember or understand how your mind concieved of it. Once the dream is out there in the world, does it take on a mind of its own and run away from you if you stop giving it attention? In the end Hughes questions if a dream deferred can explode...by this I believe he is questioning whether or not putting off your dream can ultimately lead to your destruction, like a bomb exploding in your mind. Whatever it is you dream of doing - follow your heart...