Question

Which of the lines from Harlem uses a metaphor, rather than a simile, to describe a dream deferred?

A) "Does it stink like rotten meat?"
B) "Or does it explode?"
C) "Maybe it just sags like a heavy load."
D) "A raisin in the sun"

Answer 1

The line from Harlem that uses a metaphor to describe a dream deferred is B) "Or does it explode?", which doesn't use "like" or "as," unlike similes found in other options.

Step-by-step explanation:

The line from Harlem that uses a metaphor, rather than a simile, to describe a dream deferred is B) "Or does it explode?" A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn't literally true but helps explain an idea or make a comparison by stating one thing is another. Unlike a simile, which compares two things using "like" or "as," a metaphor does so without these words. Options A) and C) contain similes because they use "like" to make a comparison ("stink like rotten meat" and "sags like a heavy load"). Option D) is also a metaphor ("A raisin in the sun") but it is not the one that fits the criteria of the question, which specifically refers to the metaphor "Or does it explode?"