The Bookworm's Classroom.
Welcome!
The Bookworm's Classroom is dedicated to teaching students about English Literature.
What Will I Learn?
What Is A Simile?
A simile is different than a metaphor. A simile is when two unlike things are compared using words like "as" or "like."
See Merriam Webster for a full definition. Click here
An Example of Simile
"Harlem"
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?
Langston Hughes. Poet. Courtesy of Wikimedia
You Can Read This Poem and More Poetry Foundation
What Is A Dream Like?
In this poem, a dream can look like a lot of different things.
A dream can dry up, it can fester, stink like rotten meat, become a heavy load, or explode.
What Is A Dream Like?
In this poem, a dream can look like a lot of different things.
A dream can dry up, it can fester, stink like rotten meat, become a heavy load, or explode.
All this can be expressed through language, as the speaker of the poem wonder what will happen to his dream. He uses questions and similes to show the reader what a deferred dream looks like. He ends with a hopeful explosion.