Deferred," though, is the last line: "Or does it explode?" This line makes obvious the severity of a postponed dream, especially the dream of the blacks in Harlem. For a people who have been oppressed for centuries, the denial of yet another dream is not taken lightly. With the final line, Hughes seems to be hinting at a revolution, alluding to the idea that blacks in Harlem are like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Here, the mood of "A Dream Deferred" has increased in intensity. The possible fates listed previously are unpleasant, but the last one is somewhat ominous and almost threatening. Langston Hughes' poem, as depicted above, properly, but aggressively, transmits his thoughts of disappointment to his readers with each of his lines full of figurative language as described in the previous paragraph. Hughes communicates the dejection of blacks in Harlem with great clarity and precision. The feelings that accompany the theme range from foreboding to anger to gloom, creating a sense of each in the reader. Hughes' poems are an effective commentary on the experiences of blacks in Harlem and the dream that they share: a dream that, though deferred, still exists....
