“Harlem” begins with a direct reference to a primary theme: dreams. Specifically, it asks “What happens to a dream deferred?” (Line 1). Using the indefinite article “a” instead of the definite article “the” widens the scope of the exploration.

Dreams in the poem are, in part, individual hopes held by people living in Harlem. But readers who can identify with the disappointments of blocked or delayed dreams may certainly see themselves in the poem, too.

Most specifically, the poem explores a collective dream for justice and an end to racial inequality. Titling the poem “Harlem” makes that clear even when it is read as a work separate from the book length Montage of a Dream Deferred.

Hughes’s poem examines one of the most cherished pieces of the American mythos: the American Dream and its promise that prosperity is achievable for anyone. Bigger, brighter, better futures for Americans and their children is a major part of the dream. “Harlem” asks what happens when the American Dream is made inaccessible to so many of its citizens. The poem exposes rot in the foundation.

Hughes’s poem explores change. Each of the possible effects of thwarted dreams involves transformation. Raisins dry into dust, healthy tissue develops sores, good meat turns rotten, and sweets become unpalatable.