my dreams, my works, must wait till after hell

Brooks's poem “my dreams, my work, my life” is an example of a sonnet. It consists of 14 lines, iambic pentameter, and a subtle rhyme scheme. Read out loud in an informal fashion, the sonnet might appear as if it has no rhymes, thus Brooks is arguably subverting the sonnet structure. Brooks might still be putting her own mark on the sonnet, but she's employing some type of rhyme. For example, “bread” (Line 1) and “lid” (Line 3) can rhyme, and so can “again” (Line 6) and “in” (Line 8).

The subtle, tenuous rhymes make the reader pay attention to the sound and the pronunciation of words. A sensitive ear is required to pick up on the rhymes. The delicate rhymes reinforce the sensitive speaker—a soldier whose main wish is not to be “turned insensitive” (Line 13) to what he appreciated before the war. Additionally, iambic pentameter advances the suspense of the war, with the unstressed, stress pattern replicating the thumping heartbeat of someone in a scary situation—like a soldier at war.