Final answer:
The tone of Langston Hughes' poem 'Harlem' can be described as one of frustration and inquiry, reflecting on the consequences of deferred dreams within the African American community. Hughes' poetry often explores themes of racial oppression and the value of African American life, particularly during the Harlem Renaissance period.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tone of Langston Hughes' poem Harlem is one of frustration and inquiry. Hughes, a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, used his poetry as an expressive force against racism while showcasing the value of African American life and culture. Harlem, specifically, deals with the dreams deferred by the African American community and presents a series of outcomes for those deferred dreams, all of which carry a sense of disillusionment. The poem's tone is contemplative, as it considers what happens to a dream deferred, and ranges from curiosity to a near-threatening prediction of an explosion—a metaphor for social uprising or personal collapse in the face of racial oppression.
Hughes's literary work was often inspired by his personal experiences of marginalization as an African American, even in so-called 'integrated' spaces. His writings reflect the underlying tension and weariness of a community whose aspirations are continually put on hold. Through his vivid imagery and rhetorical questions, Hughes engages the reader in a direct and poignant exploration of the impact of societal injustice on personal and collective dreams.