# Hope — Poetry character guide > Hope in Poetry by Georgia Douglas Johnson. **Role:** minor **First appearance:** 0003-heritage ## Who they are A personified entity symbolizing optimism and desire, recurring as a thematic presence. ## Relationships ### [Life](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/characters/life) _friendship_ Hope and Life share a single interaction, indicating a fragile but supportive bond where hope sustains life. ## In the story ### [The Heart of a Woman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/the-heart-of-a-woman) Hope is implied in the heart's dreams of the stars. ### [Dawn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/dawn) Hope is embodied in the promise of a new day and renewal. ### [Impelled](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/impelled) Hope is implied in the renewal of day and the promise of rebirth. ### [Omega](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/omega) Hope is implied as the forgotten entity that the speaker wishes to forget to end suffering. ### [Gilead](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/gilead) Implied as the soul-renewing balm found within the heart. ### [Despair](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/despair) Referenced indirectly through 'hopes that were never fulfilled' and 'fond dreams that failed.' ### [Whene'er I Lift My Eyes to Bliss](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/whene-er-i-lift-my-eyes-to-bliss) Implied in the longing for bliss and the urge of Spring, though met with pain. ### [Despair](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/despair) Hope is implicitly referenced through the farewell to unfulfilled hopes. ### [Recompense](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/recompense) Hope is implied through the promise of happiness after pain. ### [Recompense](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/recompense) Hope is implicitly present in the promise that happiness will soothe sighs and smiles await tears, guiding the emotional arc of the poem. ### [Souvenir](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/souvenir) Hope is implied in the treasured memory that remains vibrant despite life's challenges. ### [The Willow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/the-willow) Hope is implied in the consolation that comes despite the tears. ### [Sonnet to the Mantled](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/sonnet-to-the-mantled) Hope is embodied in the vision of exiles returning home and the spirit soaring to victory. ### [Sonnet to Those Who See but Darkly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/sonnet-to-those-who-see-but-darkly) Hope's piping calls the children of night forward. ### [Sonnet to the Mantled](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/sonnet-to-the-mantled) Embodied in the vision of rising and victorious exiles. ### [Sonnet to Those Who See but Darkly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/sonnet-to-those-who-see-but-darkly) Hope is personified as a guiding force, piping a dulcet lay that draws the souls upward. ### [Let Me Not Lose My Dream](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/let-me-not-lose-my-dream) Implied as the force behind the dream the speaker refuses to lose. ### [Let Me Not Hate](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/let-me-not-hate) Implied as the sustaining force behind the speaker's plea to love and keep the altar-gleams alive. ### [Let Me Not Lose My Dream](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/let-me-not-lose-my-dream) Implied as the dream or vision the speaker desperately seeks to preserve. ### [Let Me Not Hate](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/let-me-not-hate) Implied as the fragile 'altar-gleams' that the speaker wishes to keep alive. ### [Laocoön](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/laoco-n) Referenced as 'glowing forms of hope' that shine but seem unattainable, highlighting the tension between desire and reality. ### [Moods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/moods) Faith's fragile light is imperiled, yet the speaker ultimately soars with vision. ### [Laocoön](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/laoco-n) Referenced as 'glowing forms of hope' that shine but remain unattainable. ### [Moods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/moods) Faith is described as a fragile craft of light, imperiled yet present. ### [The Passing of the Ex-Slave](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/the-passing-of-the-ex-slave) Hope is embodied in the 'chastened glow' and the quiet might of the ex-slaves as they move into the silent way. ### [Hegira](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/hegira) Embodied in the 'budding Hegira' and the vision of a northern land where 'the symbol of worth sets the broad gates of combat ajar.' ### [Aliens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/aliens) Hope is embodied in the vision of a future where love and peace replace hatred and pride, offering a transcendent resolution to the isolation described. ### [Aliens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/aliens) Hope is present in the vision of a future where love reigns and peace spreads, offering transcendence over current suffering. ### [One of the Least of These, My Little One](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/one-of-the-least-of-these-my-little-one) Hope is embodied in the child's divine capacity to love despite suffering. ### [Shall I Say, “My Son, You’re Branded?”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/shall-i-say-my-son-you-re-branded) Implied as the faith and vision that the speaker urges the son to hold onto. ### [One of the Least of These, My Little One](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/one-of-the-least-of-these-my-little-one) Hope is embodied in the God-like entity that emerges from suffering. ### [Guardianship](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/guardianship) Hope is embodied in the child's potential and the call to overcome obstacles. ### [Shall I Say, “My Son, You’re Branded?”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/shall-i-say-my-son-you-re-branded) Hope is invoked as a faith that shall not falter, guiding the son to storm the fortress of prejudice. ### [Utopia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/utopia) Invoked through wishes for a bright future and repose. ### [Little Son](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/little-son) Referenced as 'my hope deferred, but not denied,' indicating a persistent yet unfulfilled hope. ### [Guardianship](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/guardianship) Embodied in the child's potential and the belief in forging a key to destiny. ### [Little Son](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/little-son) Referenced as 'my hope deferred, but not denied,' indicating a persistent hopefulness. ### [Promise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/promise) Hope is embodied in the bright morning star and the dulcet pipes of tomorrow. ### [Benediction](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/benediction) Hope is embodied in the mother's desire and the son's bright future. ### [Hope](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/hope) Hope is personified as the force that breaks through shadows and assures the dawn. ### [Promise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/promise) Hope is embodied in the 'bright morning star' and the 'sweet, dulcet pipes of tomorrow,' signaling optimism and future promise. ### [Hope](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/hope) Hope is personified as the force that sifts through shadows, promising that day must follow night. ### [Faith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/faith) Hope is embodied in the strong who continue to hope on despite burial and silence. ### [We Face the Future](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/we-face-the-future) Hope is embodied in the faith that springtime keeps and the stars' guidance. ### [Faith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/faith) Hope is embodied by the strong who continue to hope even in the face of death and silence. ### [Soldier](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/soldier) Embodied in the mother's wish for her son's cause to be kingly and for him to be strong. ### [Homing Braves](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/homing-braves) Hope is embodied in the vision of a prejudice-free homecoming and the fulfillment of the soldiers' dreams. ### [We Face the Future](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/we-face-the-future) Hope is embodied in the faith that Springtime keeps and the stars' guidance, sustaining the soldiers through war. ### [Soldier](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/soldier) The mother's hope for her son's bravery and survival, despite her sorrow. ### [Peace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/peace) Hope is embodied in the vision of peace and the reclamation of kindness. ### [Homing Braves](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/homing-braves) Hope is embodied in the vision of soldiers returning to a home free from prejudice, where their dreams are unhindered. ### [Peace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/peace) Hope is embodied in the vision of peace and the release of sweet charity. ### [Resolution](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/resolution) Hope is implicitly invoked as the narrator's renewed determination to make dreams come true suggests a rekindled hopefulness. ### [The Watcher](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/the-watcher) Implied in the prayer for light to break. ### [To John Brown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-john-brown) Hope is embodied in the song of dusky millions and the promise of freedom's dawning. ### [To John Brown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-john-brown) Hope is embodied in the enduring legacy of Brown's deed and the promise of freedom's dawning. ### [To W. E. B. DuBois—Scholar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-w-e-b-dubois-scholar) Referenced as a buried yet reborn force, taught by DuBois alongside Faith. ### [To Ridgely Torrence—Playwright](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-ridgely-torrence-playwright) The poem embodies hope for a new cycle and liberation from past constraints. ### [To W. E. B. DuBois—Scholar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-w-e-b-dubois-scholar) Mentioned as a teaching of DuBois, along with Faith, over the tomb. ### [To Richard R. Wright—Instructor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-richard-r-wright-instructor) Hope is embodied in the vision of a man 'fashioned for the years to be,' suggesting a hopeful future. ### [To Emilie Bigelow Hapgood—Philanthropist](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-emilie-bigelow-hapgood-philanthropist) Referenced as a token lifted by the philanthropist's hands. ### [To Richard R. Wright—Instructor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-richard-r-wright-instructor) Embodied in the final line 'A man is fashioned for the years to be!' suggesting a hopeful vision for the future. ### [To Mary Church Turrell—Lecturer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-mary-church-turrell-lecturer) Hope is personified as a source of light and tender song, symbolizing the optimism and vision that Mary Church Terrell brings. ### [To Emilie Bigelow Hapgood—Philanthropist](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-emilie-bigelow-hapgood-philanthropist) Referenced as a token lifted by the philanthropist's hands. ### [To the Memory of Inez Milholland](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-the-memory-of-inez-milholland) Implied through the promise of meeting again on 'His Holy Hill'. ### [To Mary Church Turrell—Lecturer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-mary-church-turrell-lecturer) Hope is personified as a guiding light and source of tender song in the poem. ### [To May Howard Jackson—Sculptor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-may-howard-jackson-sculptor) Hope is embodied in the sculptor's ardor for her first ideal and her vision for a better day. ### [To the Memory of Inez Milholland](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/to-the-memory-of-inez-milholland) Implied through the promise of meeting again on 'that Great Day'. ### [Lesson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/lesson) Hope is cautioned against being placed in the crumbling walls of mankind's gratitude. ### [My Son](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/my-son) Hope is embodied in the vision of a coming day of freedom and blooming immortelles. ### [Pilgrimage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/pilgrimage) Implied in the desire for guidance and the belief in finding the path. ### [My Son](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/my-son) Embodied as the vision of a coming day when the son will thrive beyond present suffering. ### [Soul’s Easter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/soul-s-easter) Hope is embodied in the soul's leap and the promise of transcendence beyond death. ### [Soul’s Easter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/soul-s-easter) Hope is present in the promise of resurrection and the soul's emergence after death. ### [Promise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/promise) Hope is personified as lighting the eyes of the sorrowful traveler. ### [Prejudice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/prejudice) Implied through the search for a 'God-illumined place,' representing a hopeful vision beyond the darkness. ### [Promise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/promise) Hope is personified as lighting the eyes of the sorrowful. ### [The True American](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/the-true-american) The poem's vision of a unified, prejudice-free future reflects the presence of hope for a better America. ### [Wishes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/wishes) Hope is implied as the narrator wishes to see if dreams will come to pass. ### [The True American](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/the-true-american) Hope is personified in the son's new song and the promise of a unified future, rising above hatred and division. ### [Wishes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/wishes) Implied through the narrator's wish to see if dreams 'shall perish or come to pass,' reflecting a hopeful yet uncertain outlook. ### [I Closed My Shutters Fast Last Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/i-closed-my-shutters-fast-last-night) Implied in the morning's whisper to await a golden, perfect hour. ### [Footsteps](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/footsteps) Hope is implied in the speaker's low listening for certain footsteps, suggesting a belief in a future arrival. ### [I Closed My Shutters Fast Last Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/i-closed-my-shutters-fast-last-night) Personified as the tranquil morn that restores the heart and whispers of a future golden hour. ### [Welt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/welt) The wish to mend youth and prolong joy suggests a hopeful longing. ### [Sunset](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/sunset) Hope is absent; the narrator describes himself as 'without hope'. ### [Joy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/joy) Hope is subtly present in the search for rare moments of rapture amid gloom. ### [Armageddon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/armageddon) Hope is implied as the dawn that appears after the narrator's battle. ### [Le Soir](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/le-soir) Referenced as a potential source of blossoms spray, offering a vision of lush profusion beyond the edge of day. ### [Armageddon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/armageddon) Hope is implied through the narrator's perseverance and the arrival of dawn after the dark battle. ### [Le Soir](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/le-soir) Referenced as a potential source of blossoms spraying over the edge of day, embodying uncertain optimism. ### [Destiny](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/destiny) Underpins the speaker's confident expectation of the beloved's arrival. ### [Your Eyes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/your-eyes) Embodied as the narrator's hopes for paradise, inspired by the beloved's eyes. ### [Break, Break My Heart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/break-break-my-heart) Mentioned as absent ('no hope'), underscoring the despair of the moment. ### [Break, Break My Heart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/break-break-my-heart) Hope is absent, as the speaker declares 'no hope' in the face of love's end. ### [Song of the Sinner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/song-of-the-sinner) Implied absence; no spark of hope remains in the residuum. ### [Recessional](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/recessional) Implied in the lingering residue of fire and the undeterred flow of love. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/characters/hope - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/characters