In the poem “My Little Dreams”

Johnson folds her dreams and stores them in her heart in the poem "My Little Dreams" (“Georgia Douglas Johnson: Dreams”). According to the poem, the speaker's visions were just her nightmares, and folding them indicates that she does not want to look at them again. “I'm folding up my little dreams/ inside my heart tonight/ and hoping I will soon forget/ The torment of their sight,” the speaker says (Johnson). The poem's persona is a human who regrets not having realized his or her life's ambitions. Notably, the persona of the poem had dreams and plans of doing possibly big things in life. Nevertheless, the speaker did not manage because as time passed, the same desires that the heart had of doing the planned dreams become filled with great sorrows. The person of the poem is under heavy grief and regrets as she realizes that the dreams can no longer be achieved (“Georgia Douglas Johnson: Dreams”). The poem portrays the themes of the importance of dreams, regret, and disappointment. The theme of regret is evident when the speaker says “For time’s deft fingers scroll my brow/ With fell relentless art” (Johnson). The use of the word “relentless” vividly depicts the theme of regret arising from not achieving the dreams in life.

The author uses the first person in the poem to emphasize its importance and make it appear more personal and significant. Johnson writes that “I’m folding up my little dreams/ Tonight, within my heart” indicating the first person (Johnson). Besides, Johnson employs imagery and a regretting tone that convinces the reader that following dreams in life are a vital aspect. Imagery is created when the speaker says that she is folding his or her dreams. The use of the word “folding dreams” creates an image into the mind of the reader which further stresses the frustration the persona undergoes. The imagery helps the reader to understand the underlying idea of the poem and the importance of accomplishing dreams (“Georgia Douglas Johnson: Dreams”). The poem has repletion which constantly reminds the reader that working hard to achieve the set goals and dreams is essential to becoming happy in life. The phrases “I’m folding up my little dreams” and “within my heart” are repeated in the poem depicting desperation (Johnson). Another literary device is symbolism. The folding of the dreams is a symbol of disappointment and frustration that the speaker undergoes in life when he or she discovers that time has passed and achieving dreams is not possible.

Certainly, Johnson magnifies dreams and mirrors them through the tone of lamentation and regret. The poem is sentimental and evokes sorrowful emotions in the reader. Indeed, Johnson wrote this poem to act as a powerful message to the people that fail to follow their dreams (“Georgia Douglas Johnson: Dreams”). She aimed in communicating that dreams are important in life and one should strive in attaining them to avoid regrets. Therefore, the poem does address the fundamental theme of a dream which is an ever occurring feature in the life of a human. Through the poem, Johnson vividly communicates to the reader that broken dreams translate into disappointments.

Works Cited

Johnson, Georgia Douglas. “My Little Dreams.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/52500. Accessed

7 May 2017.

“Georgia Douglas Johnson: Dreams.” Georgiadouglas3.weebly.com, http://georgiadouglas3.weebly.com/analysis.html. Accessed 7 May 2017.