“Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet?”

In the poem “Harlem” written by Langston Hughes the line “Or crust and sugar over/ like a syrupy sweet?” uses a simile to represent the negative outcome of ignoring a dream. When a syrupy sweet food is not taken care of properly they often become hardened and stale. This is comparable to the effects of a deferred dream as many times people become consumed by their forgotten desires as they feel trapped in failure. The idea of these lines is represented by tied hands as they show the feeling of being trapped just like individuals become stuck in the past and the inabilities to accomplish dreams successfully. A syrupy substance is described as a thick and sweet liquid, just like a dream as it seems hopeful and positive but can become harder over time as reality causes people to become confined. The feeling of being trapped is common when dreams are not foreseen as lives are lived without accomplishing ones dreams. Putting a dream aside can complicate the ability to move on through life as the burden becomes overwhelming. The tied hands represent the trapped mindset of many people as they are consumed by the possibilities of success or the reasons to why failure occurred.