He Had His Dream by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Analysis
"He Had His Dream" is a poem written by Paul Laurence Dunbar. This poem is about being hopeful and optimistic. Specifically, it talks about a man who was hopeful throughout all his life. He was poor, yet he worked hard for better things to come. When bad times came, he didn't waver. He simply said that "The tempest will be short" and when it ended, went back to working hard for better days.
"He Had His Dream" consists of two stanzas with ten lines each. The stanzas are rhymed as AABBCCDDEE. The indented lines are shorter and yet still rhythmic to keep the pace (or, change the pace to fit the words).
Poem
He Had His Dream He had his dream, and all through life, Worked up to it through toil and strife. Afloat fore'er before his eyes, It colored for him all his skies: The storm-cloud dark Above his bark, The calm and listless vault of blue Took on its hopeful hue, It tinctured every passing beam - He had his dream. He labored hard and failed at last, His sails too weak to bear the blast, The raging tempests tore away And sent his beating bark astray. But what cared he For wind or sea! He said, "The tempest will be short, My bark will come to port." He saw through every cloud a gleam - He had his dream
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