Define dreams.
What does it mean to dream? Think of all
the connotations of this word as you
respond in quadrant 1
What is your
biggest dream?
Explain in quadrant 2
The Harlem
Renaissance &
Effects
1920s-1930s
Review…
• Where is Harlem?
• Renaissance is like a “new beginning”
or “resurgence”
• What does “Harlem Renaissance”
literally mean?
• What connotations does it have?
Harlem Renaissance
• African American migration to
Harlem, NY (1921-1930s)
o Burst of creativity
o Celebrated cultural identity
o Depended on one another for
support and inspiration
o Poetry
• rhythms of spirituals and jazz
• Lyrics based on blues
o Diction based on slang
o Gave Americans a language to
begin discussion of Racism
What is the Dream of
the Harlem
Renaissance writers?
How does this
compare to the
American dream?
What obstacles do
people have to
overcome to pursue
their dreams?
Reading Harlem
Renaissance
Poetry
Group Work
Round One
• Individually: you have approximately 7 minutes to
read your poem and complete part I and II on your
worksheet. Make sure you are being specific and
detailed with your responses.
Black
Authority & power; stability & strength; intelligence (doctorate in black robe; black horn rimmed glasses etc.);
thinning; somber; sometimes evil; grief; easily overwhelming with too much
White
Purity; cleanliness; safety of bright light; projects absence of color; projects neutrality; eastern world—mourning;
creativity; compression of color
Gray
Practical; timeless; middle ground; solid; too much leads to feeling nothing, but a bit helps add a rock solid feeling;
some shades equal old age, death, taxes, depression or lost sense of direction
Silver
Red
Round 2
• Helping
Using
the psychology of color, decide on an
hand, strong character
appropriate
represent
the poem.
Explain
Draws
attention; draws the color
eye; color ofto
energy;
associated with movement
and excitement;
causes the heart to beat
faster; not good to over use, but used in the right places can help; symbolizes life, love, and giving
your response in detail.
Pink
True color of love; most calming of all colors; drains energy and calms aggression; symbolizes love and gentle
feelings to sooth
Blue
Causes the body to produce chemicals that are calming (some shades); too much can send a cold, uncaring
message; calm and restful; symbolizes steadfastness, dependability, wisdom and loyalty; elicits productivity by
encouraging focus; sports are enhanced in a blue surrounding
Green
Color of growth, nature and money; calming color that is pleasing to the senses; dark green associated with
conservatism, masculinity and wealth; used in hospitals to promote calm; associated with envy, good luck,
generosity and fertility; traditional color of peace, harmony, comfortable nurturing, support and well paced energy.
Yellow
Cheerful; associated with laughter, happiness and good times; promotes optimistic b/c the brain actually releases
more serotonin when around the color; when intense it has been shown to make babies cry more and tempers flare;
has the power to bring out creative thoughts (yellow legal pads!!!!) but can be overpowering; some shades
associated with cowardice; golden shades promise better times
Orange
Flamboyant; tied to fun times, happiness and energy as well as warmth; associated with ambition; nothing calming;
new dawn attitude
Purple
Royalty; associated with wealth, prosperity, rich sophistication; stimulates the brain used in problem solving;
overuse equals ostentation and artificiality; used carefully can lend an air of mystery, wisdom, and respect.
Brown
reliability, stability, and friendship; color of earth; natural and organic; India it is the color of mourning
Round 3
• Using your knowledge of symbolism and
language arts, decide on an appropriate
symbol to represent the content of the
poem. Explain your response.
• Consider the image the poet used, and then
move beyond that and connect the image
to a symbol OUTSIDE the text.
Round 4
• Choose a line that would attract
someone to your poem and make
them want to read more about it. Be
sure to explain it.
Round 5
• Teach your group all about your poem.
• In the box provided draw the picture
that would represent each of the poems
you will talk about with your group.
• Write the theme and title of each poem
as well!
Round 6
• How does the Harlem Renaissance give
America a language to talk about racism and
discrimination for the first time?
• Does the HR call for an egalitarian society?
Explain your response in the reflection section
Egalitarianism: a belief in human
equality especially with respect to
social, political, and economic rights
and privileges; a social philosophy
advocating the removal of
inequalities among people
Harlem Renaissance
• African Americans wanted ___________ during the
Harlem Renaissance but…
Langston Hughes
• Most influential/well known writer that emerged
from the Harlem Renaissance
• He was not born in Harlem, but flourished as a writer
there
Raisin
“Harlem: A Dream Deferred”
Langston Hughes
Sight:
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?
Taste:
Touch:
Smell
Sound:
Questions:
• How does the sum total of all the
imagery add up to answering the
question put forth by the speaker in
line one, “ What happens to a dream
deferred?
• What is the unspoken message the
speaker is telling the reader about
going after their own dreams?
THEME
Main idea that can be applied universally
Setting the Scene
Notorious BIG≠ Harlem Renaissance
BUT
“Juicy”= lit. tradition of Harlem
by addressing
Dreams
AND
Ambition
Despite
Setbacks often associated with
Race
“Juicy”
By Notorious B.I.G.
•
•
•
•
Poetic Theme: Reach for Your Dreams
How do both sets of verses reflect this
theme?
Line 16 claims that birthdays were the
worst days. Why do you think the poet felt
this way?
What images from the verse does the poet
use to demonstrate the poverty he
endured prior to achieving Hip-Hop fame?
What images from the verse doe the poet
use to demonstrate the rewards of wealth
and Hip-Hop fame in the reader’s mind?
Setting the Scene
Loraine Hansberry ≠ Harlem Renaissance
BUT
A Raisin in the Sun = lit. tradition of Harlem
by addressing
Racism
AND
Discrimination
And
Dreams Deferred
What happens
to a dream
deferred?
And what should that encourage you to
do about your own dreams?
Turn in
• Staple your quadrant sheet to your worksheet and
turn everything in—you want to make sure you get
credit for your hard work!
A Raisin in the
Sun
How does Hansberry use Hughes’ imagery
to further the plot of her play?
A Raisin in the Sun
• Who: The Youngers—an African-American
family
• When: 1950s
• Where: South Side of Chicago
• Basic Plot: The Youngers are about to
receive an insurance _________ for
$___________.
o Who died?
o Competing dreams of the adults Walter Lee Jr,
Beneatha, Ruth, and Mama
Big Picture Questions
• Walter Lee and Ruth.
o What are their expectations of each other?
• Walter Lee and Beneatha.
o Are they sensitive to each other’s needs, or have they
become locked into the “sibling rivalry” syndrome?
• Walter Lee and Lena.
o Is she unconsciously emasculating him? Is he behaving
more like a son than a husband and father? What cultural
traditions affect their relationship?
• Lena and Ruth.
o Is Lena trying to undermine Ruth’s maternal authority by
commenting on what Travis eats, how he dresses, and her
excusing his lapses as “he’s just a little boy” [31]
• Beneatha and Asagai.
o What cultural differences cause tension in their
relationship? How does he prove he really cares for her?
Theme and Conflict
• What problems occur if your expectations and
others’ expectations of you differ? Give a specific
example from experience or the experience of
someone you know.