Who is the persona in this poem
Harlem
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?
1 answer
The persona in this poem is a speaker reflecting on the consequences of a dream being deferred. The speaker is questioning what happens to a dream that is not pursued or delayed.