In his short poem (often called "Harlem"), why does Langston Hughes answer his main question with a list of questions? Is he expressing a...

The list of questions that follow the main question in
Langston Hughes' short poem "Harlem" may serve to make us, as the readers, think about
the full range of possible reactions to the situation in the initial question: "What
happens to a dream deferred?" To me, the poem (or poet) never clearly points to one
possible reaction as the most likely one, but the sixth and final possibility -- "Or
does it explode?" -- is given particular emphasis. It's set apart in a stanza of its
own, it's shorter than most of the other questions, and it's the final question, the
last possibility that we're left with.

That final line to
me has always seemed to hint at possible violence that may result when people (African
Americans, to be more specific) aren't given full citizenship and genuinely equal
opportunities in the United States. The desperation and rage that have fueled a number
of race-riots, for example, seem to be predicted in this final line of the
poem.

See the links below for the study guide to this poem
and for a similar discussion from just a month or so ago.