"Dream Deferred" ~ #10

This poem uses lots of imagery to describe different types of dreams. The speaker warns people not to put off their dreams. A dream can "dry up like a raisin in the sun" if you do not act on it while you have the opportunity. They can fester, which means that it can leak into and infect other parts of the lives of other people. A dream can run; meaning, if you don't take advantage of your dreams while you have the opportunity, they will go away and you will be unable to attain them. They can "stink like rotten meat," which means that some dreams will not be desirable and cause an after effect on surrounding people. Some dreams can "crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet;" in many the good outweighs the bad. And some dreams "just sag like a heavy load," weighing you down like a burden on your shoulders. On the other hand, some "explode." They go and spread to everyone and the dream spreads everywhere.