Read the poem and answer the following question
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 the theme of the poem?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
Delay, sadness, and dreams are the major themes of this poem. The speaker feels the burden of these dreams, saying when the burden becomes unbreakable, it will explode.