1. “What happens to a dream deferred?”
“Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?”
The comparison of a deferred dream to a raisin drying up in the sun is a simile.
2. “Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.”
The comparison of a deferred dream to a heavy load is another simile in the poem.
3. “Or does it explode?”
“like a bomb?”
The comparison of a deferred dream to a bomb exploding is the third simile in the poem.
4. “Or does it stink like rotten meat?”
“Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?”
The comparison of a deferred dream to rotten meat is the fourth simile in the poem. The comparison of a deferred dream to turning into something sweet but not wholesome, like syrupy sweet, is another instance of simile in the poem.