Dreams by Virna Sheard (1916)
The work emphasizes the vital role of inner visions and aspirations as the driving force of human existence. It encourages the reader to preserve dreams regardless of life's suffering, loss of faith, or the inevitable passage of time that rips away certainties and creeds. Through vivid imagery—a rainbow symbolizing beauty and hope, a withering garden contrasted with roses of golden hearts, and the promise of summer following winter—the text asserts that dreams are the underlying source of all creative and enduring achievements. Even in the face of death and the fading of religious structures, the poem insists that the inner vision, epitomized by the figure of the Christ, persists as a beacon guiding one toward truth and compassionate actions. The work dismisses the transitory nature of external and material life, positing instead that dreams are the unseen, imperishable foundation upon which all enduring beauty and transformative ideas are built. In this vision, holding fast to one’s dreams is portrayed not merely as an act of hope, but as a necessary commitment to a higher, creative, and eternal way of being.
By Virna Sheard · First published 1916 · Genre: Poetry, Inspirational, Spiritual · 198 words
First lines
Keep thou thy dreams -- though joy should pass thee by; Hold to the rainbow beauty of thy thought; It is for dreams that men will oft-times die, -- And count the passing pain of death as nought.
Keep thou thy dreams, though faith should faint and fail, And time should loose thy fingers from the creeds; The vision of the Christ will still avail, To lead thee on to truth and tender deeds.
Keep thou thy dreams, through all the winter's cold; When weeds are withered, and the garden grey, Dream thou of roses with their hearts of gold; -- Beckon to summers that are on their way!
What this Textopian page supports
Dreams is listed on Textopian as a poem by Virna Sheard, dated 1916 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Virna Sheard
- Date: 1916 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Inspirational, Spiritual, Philosophical
- Length: 198 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Dreams by Virna Sheard
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Dreams?
- How does this poem by Virna Sheard fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Poetry first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is composed entirely in verse with a structured rhyme scheme and stanzaic form, hallmark traits of poetry.
- Inspirational — The text urges the reader to cherish dreams amid adversity, conveying a motivational and uplifting message.
- Spiritual — The inclusion of Christian imagery, such as the vision of Christ, underlines a spiritual and faith-based dimension.
- Philosophical — The reflection on the transient nature of life and the enduring quality of dreams invites philosophical contemplation.
Tags
imaginative · reflective · poetic · introspective · mystical · subconscious · symbolic · philosophical · dreamlike · ethereal · psychological · existential