Free Essays on Harlem V. Ode On A Grecian Urn

written to reveal their true meaning. On the surface, the reader might think this poem is light and airy, when in fact; it is a sad tale of lost chances never to be r... Free Essays on Harlem V. Ode On A Grecian Urn Free Essays on Harlem V. Ode On A Grecian Urn The Death of the Human Spirit in â€Å"Harlem† and â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† Although Langston Hughes’s â€Å"Harlem† and John Keats’ â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† were written about 130 years apart and they differ in their structure, they seem to share a similar underlying theme. Both of these poets are trying to convey a feeling of death. They are not talking about a superficial death but rather, a dying on the inside. This is the type of death that robs them of their spirit. To the reader, it is fairly clear to see in Hughes’s â€Å"Harlem† whereas in Keats’ â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn†, the reader has to look beyond the outer layer of the poets words. In Hughes’s extremely short poem, â€Å"Harlem†, the poet asks â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† (1). If not for this opening line, the reader might be left wondering what the objects in the poem symbolize. Hughes uses a raisin, a sore, meat, a syrupy sweet, and a load. The â€Å"raisin† represents the plight of the black man in a dominant white society. The black man (raisin) refuses to give in and thus turns into a â€Å"sore†. The â€Å"meat† turned rotten in â€Å"Harlem† symbolizes the fight of the African American in making their place in the world. The â€Å"sweet† represents the satisfaction to be found in an existence full of harmony. The â€Å"load† is the culmination of all of these objects. As time goes by, the burden of the â€Å"load† gets harder and harder to carry. The heavy burden causes the black man to falter and â€Å"sag†. Eventually, the immense pressure causes an explo sion to the reality of the situation that the African Americans face. In order to understand the meaning behind John Keats’ somewhat longer poem, â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn†, the reader has to look past the words written to reveal their true meaning. On the surface, the reader might think this poem is light and airy, when in fact; it is a sad tale of lost chances never to be r...