The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes. Specifically it will discuss the importance of the poem in Black history and literature. Langston Hughes is considered one of the premier Black poets, and he often wrote of Harlem and other places where he had lived and worked. "Harlem" is one of his most notable poems, it fostered Black literature, thought, and understanding, and it is a valuable part of Black history and literature.
             Harlem in New York City is a Black community, and has been for decades. Hughes lived in Harlem at many times throughout his life, and he captured the essence of Harlem in the poem with the same title, indicating the lost (deferred) dreams of the Black community, and what happens to those lost dreams (they fester or explode). The poem is a warning that of the plight of Blacks did not change; they would explode with their need to be free and equal. It also represents the "heavy load" the Black people have borne since they first came to America as slaves, and it indicates the hopelessness of the slums and poverty in New York City.
             Harlem is also the home of the Harlem Renaissance, which took place during the 1920s. It was a growth of the arts, including music, literature, artworks, and even philosophy by Black artists, and it spread around the nation. The renaissance focused on the history of meaning of Black life in America, and how it related to the Black experience of the time, and it helped focus attention on Black artists and their work. Hughes wrote of the Harlem Renaissance and became known as one of the premier artists participating in the renaissance. This poem, written in 1951, long after the Renaissance was over, captures the hopelessness of Black life in America before the Civil Rights movement, and illustrates how Harlem represented the dreams of Blacks, but because of social constraints, those dreams were not allowed to come true...