Dreams

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1968

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Marjorie Hendricks as a Symbol for Fame, Race, and Gender

In the poem, Marjorie Hendricks appears once. She grinds “all up against the mic” (Line 10) and screams the lyrics to “Night and Day” by Ray Charles. Yet the single image of Hendricks creates a powerful symbol that turns the singer into a representative of fame, race, and gender.

Hendricks is famous—that’s how the speaker knows about her. The speaker hears Hendricks’s stirring voice, and it inspires her “to be / a raelet” (Line 6). The singer makes the speaker dream of fame. Hendricks’s life story—her affair with Charles, her struggles to launch a solo career, and her substance use—symbolize the downside of fame. In reality, fame isn’t just about performing. There’s an array of issues a celebrity has to confront when they’re not in the limelight. Thus, the speaker’s dream in her “younger years” (Line 1) is only a dream. As she grows up, she realizes the volatility of fame and chooses to be something quiet and gentle—“a sweet inspiration” (Line 19).

Hendricks is a Black woman, so she symbolizes race and gender. Hendricks subverts the claim that “black people aren’t / suppose to dream” (Lines 3-4). She shows that a Black woman can dream and achieve success. At the same time, Hendricks's career exposes the perils of fame for Black women. She also represents the narrow opportunities for Black people. The speaker doesn’t dream of being a scientist, a mathematician, a doctor, an astronaut, or so on. For the younger speaker, it’s as if Black people have two choices: They can be a star, or have a life of discouraging toil—there’s no harmonious middle.

Dreams as Symbols for Unreality and Racism

Dreams implicitly symbolize unreality due to the speaker’s age when she has her dreams. As a grown-up—as a “matured” and "sensible” person (Lines 14-15)—the speaker doesn’t have dreams. The juxtaposition suggests dreams are childish or unrealistic. Dreams are hard to sustain or even put into practice in the first place. Distortion and omission produce dreams. Thus, the speaker’s younger self can dream of Marjorie Hendricks because she doesn’t understand the day-to-day struggle of Hendricks’s life. The speaker just sees a powerful, emotional singer. There’s much more to Hendricks’s life than performing, yet those parts aren’t dreamy.

Dreams also symbolize racism. The speaker says, “black people aren’t / suppose to dream” (Lines 3-4). It’s as if dreams are a commodity only for white people. In the United States, where systemic laws and norms continually construct Black people as inferior and disposable, dreams don’t apply to them. Thus, the prohibition on dreams reflects the racist world of the speaker. The polarizing outcomes—stardom or bust—expose the lack of opportunities for Black people. They can either be famous and in the bright lights, or nothing at all.

At the same time, the speaker’s ability to “settle down” (Line 17) and become something “sensible” (Line 15) indicates there’s a life beyond dreams and their unreal, racist symbolism. In the poem, there’s a realistic way for Black people to live inspiring lives amidst the prevalence of vicious bigotry.

Adults as Symbols for Wholeness, Reliability, and Inspiration

Adults symbolize a type of wholeness in the poem. When the speaker talks about her younger self and her dream, the words break. She’s torn apart and incomplete. From one angle, Giovanni cuts up the words to relay how they sound in the song. Yet the severed words symbolize something about dreams and stardom: It’s not a holistic endeavor. To perform and occupy the spotlight splits a person, like the song lyrics. Celebrity puts a person, like Marjorie Hendricks, in a precarious situation.

After the song lyrics, the words become whole again. The speaker “grew and matured” (Line 14). She’s an adult. She’s “sensible” (Line 15) and can “settle down” (Line 17). Adult life represents steadiness and dependability. Adults don’t lose themselves in propulsive, shattering dreams. An adult creates a concrete, practical life. A person can count on an adult to function as a source of stability. The sturdy symbolism links to the inspirational symbolism. What’s inspiring isn’t messy, infantile dreams of fame but a solid, thoughtful life. The speaker learns to become an adult, and an adult represents “a sweet inspiration” (Line 19).