Question

In the line "boogie-woogie rumble / Of a dream deferred" from Langston Hughes's poem "Dream Boogie," what does the term boogie-woogie refer to

A. a style of jazz developed in Harlem
B. a Harlem dance craze
C. an unidentified fear, or "boogie man"
D. the bamboula

Answer 1

The line "boogie-woogie rumble / Of a dream deferred" from Langston Hughes's poem "Dream Boogie," the term boogie-woogie refer to a style of jazz developed in Harlem

Answer 2

A. a style of jazz developed in Harlem.

One of the things that helps in determining that “boogie-woogie” refers to a style of jazz developed in Harlem is the third word of the first line—“daddy.” What daddy is referring to is the term “daddy-o,” which was a term for a male commonly used in the jazz era in the Harlem area among others, but its origin is certainly attributed to the jazz culture.