Dreams

“Dreams” lacks a formal meter and rhyme scheme, so the poem is an example of free verse. As the name implies, Giovanni’s poem is free. She doesn’t bond the lines to a meter—to a set amount of unstressed and stressed syllables. Giovanni can also end the lines with whatever words she wants because the lines don’t have to rhyme.

The free verse matches the freedom of the song lyrics. When Marjorie Hendricks sings, she can do what she wants with words. She breaks up “drownd” into “dr o wn d” (Line 7) and crashes “night and day” into “nightandday” (Line 13). The free verse also relates to the speaker’s freedom. She’s free to move beyond her adolescent dreams and transition to a mature adult.

Although the poem doesn’t have a stable meter, a majority of the lines stay between three to six syllables. The lines with the song lyrics—particularly Lines 7 and 8—stand out, but their conspicuousness adds to the theme. These lines attract more attention because these are the lines that represent fame and stardom.

One stanza contains all 19 lines. The solid shape of the poem reinforces the