Question

Read the following poem “Harlem: A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes and answer the question that follows.

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?

What is this poem’s rhyme scheme?
A.
ABCDEFGHIJJ
B.
ABCCDDEEFFG
C.
ABCDCEFEGHH
D.
ABCDCDEFEFF

Answer 1

The correct rhyming scheme of the poem "Harlem: A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes is C. ABCDCEFEGHH

Step-by-step explanation:

Though the poem of Langston Hughes "Harlem: A Dream Deferred" is like a free verse in that it doesn't specifically follow any of the 'rules' of poetry, the rhyming scheme of the poem can still be identified as ABCDCEFEGHH. Here are the rhyming scheme in detail-

deferred - A

up - B

sun - C

sore - D

run - C

meat - E

over - F

sweet - E

sags - G

load - H

explode - H

The words "sun/run", "meat/sweet" and "load/explode" rhymes with each other.

Answer 2

C. ABCDCEFEGHH is the correct rhyme scheme