what is one difference in the way sensory details are used in harlem and the weary blues? “harlem” uses all five senses, while “the weary blues” relies mainly on the sense of sound. “harlem” uses the sense of sound, while “the weary blues” relies on all five senses. “harlem” relies on the sense of touch, while “the weary blues” relies on the sense of sound. “harlem” relies on all of the senses, while “the weary blues” relies mainly on the sense of touch.
What is one difference in the way sensory details are used in “Harlem” and “The Weary Blues”?
Answer: The primary difference in the use of sensory details between Langston Hughes’ poems “Harlem” and “The Weary Blues” lies in the specific senses that each poem emphasizes.
Harlem (“A Dream Deferred”):
Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” also known as “A Dream Deferred,” utilizes various sensory details but does not necessarily engage all five senses explicitly. The poem is primarily focused on evoking strong, vivid imagery to explore the consequences of deferred dreams. For instance:
- Visual Imagery: The poem frequently uses visual imagery such as “raisin in the sun” and “crust and sugar over.”
- Olfactory Imagery: The line “Does it stink like rotten meat?” evokes the sense of smell.
- Tactile Imagery: The phrase “Or does it explode?” can evoke a tactile sense related to the force of an explosion.
While “Harlem” uses multiple sensory details, it primarily engages the reader through visual, olfactory, and tactile imagery.
The Weary Blues:
“The Weary Blues” relies predominantly on the sense of sound. This poem captures the experience of listening to a blues musician playing in a club, evoking the atmosphere through auditory details:
- Auditory Imagery: The poem is rich in sound-related imagery with descriptions like “Droning a drowsy syncopated tune” and “He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.” The rhythm and flow of the poem itself mimic the blues music it describes.
- Visual Imagery: There are some visual elements, such as the description of the musician swaying and the movement of the piano keys, but these are secondary to the auditory sense.
In summary, “Harlem” uses multiple senses to create vivid imagery about deferred dreams, whereas “The Weary Blues” relies mainly on the sense of sound to immerse the reader in the experience of blues music. Therefore, the most accurate description of the difference between the sensory details in these two poems is:
“Harlem” uses all five senses, while “The Weary Blues” relies mainly on the sense of sound.