Question

deferred
by langston hughes (excerpt)

maybe now i can have that white enamel stove
i dreamed about when we first fell in love
eighteen years ago.
but you know,
rooming and everything
then kids,
cold-water flat and all that.
but now my daughters married
and my boys most grown-
quit school to work-
and where were moving
there aint no stove-
maybe i can buy that white enamel stove!

me, i always did want to study french.
it dont make sense-
ill never go to france,
but night schools teach french.
now at last ive got a job
where i get off at five,
in time to wash and dress,
...

select the correct answer.

what has been deferred in the poem \deferred\ by langston hughes?

the african american dream
the emancipation of the enslaved
the civil rights movement
the abolitionist movement

Explanation:

Analyze the poem's imagery

Using the Poetic Imagery and Metaphorical Comparison knowledge points, we examine the speaker's desires. The speaker dreams of a "white enamel stove" and wanting "to study French." These everyday, modest aspirations represent personal milestones and comfort.

Connect details to the historical context

Using the Textual Evidence Analysis knowledge point, we evaluate what these deferred dreams symbolize. The speaker's inability to achieve these basic desires due to economic and social barriers reflects the broader, systemic delay of opportunities and equality for African Americans.

Evaluate the answer choices

We compare the symbolic meaning of the deferred dreams against the options:

• "the African American dream": Matches the collective struggle for basic rights, education, and decent living standards depicted in the excerpt.
• "the emancipation of the enslaved": Historically incorrect, as slavery had already been abolished when Hughes wrote this.
• "the civil rights movement": While related, the poem specifically focuses on the personal, everyday dreams of individuals that make up the collective African American dream.
• "the abolitionist movement": Historically incorrect, as this movement ended with the Civil War.

Select the best option

The poem "Deferred" highlights how ordinary African Americans had to put their basic life dreams on hold, symbolizing the broader deferral of the African American dream.

Answer:

• the African American dream (Correct answer)
• the emancipation of the enslaved
• the civil rights movement
• the abolitionist movement