Drum Dream Girl

Drum Dream Girl is a free-verse poem that was published as a children’s book illustrated by Rafael López. There are 105 lines in 21 stanzas of varying lengths. In the book, most stanzas are given two adjacent pages filled with colorful art. The speaker takes on the role of narrator, telling a poetic story in the third-person about the life of a Chinese-African-Cuban drummer named Millo Castro Zaldarriaga.

The first stanza establishes a sense of place and introduces Millo, who is not named within the poem (but named in an author’s note at the end of the book). Lines 1 and 2 set the scene—an island where music is very important. The placement of “music” (Line 1) at the end of the first line establishes its significance. The second line zooms in on a “city” (Line 2) on the island. Like the narrowing from island to city, the narrator focuses on one specific element of music: “drumbeats” (Line 2).

Lines 3 and 4 introduce the main character of the poem, Millo, who is referred to throughout the poem as the “drum dream girl” (Line 3). She is defined as being a dreamer. This is emphasized in the repetition of “dream” (Line 3) and “dreamed” (Line 4), as well as the fact that the word “dreamed” comprises the entire fourth line.

The second stanza describes the girl’s musical dreams. She wants to play a variety of drums featured in Cuban music: conga drums, bongó drums, and timbales. The narrator’s descriptions contrast the size of the conga and bongó drums: “tall” (Line 5) and “small” (Line 6), respectively. The timbales are described in more detail. They are played with “long, loud sticks” (Line 8), and they have four adjectives in two lines preceding them: “big, round, silvery / moon-bright” (Lines 9-10). This develops the theme of Cuban music, as timbales were developed as instruments in Cuba.

The third stanza explains the roadblock to the girl achieving her dream: gender stereotypes. In Cuba, “only boys” (Line 14) play drums. Again, Cuba is not named, but it is implied through the repetition of “island of music” (Line 13).

The fourth stanza describes how these gender stereotypes affect the “drum dream girl” (Line 16). They cause her to keep her dreams about drumming “quiet” (Line 18). Also, the structure of the fourth stanza, compared with the previous stanza, can be a way to look at the gender dynamics. The fourth stanza has four lines with one word in each of them, while the third stanza has longer lines. The larger number of words can represent a majority opinion (what most people believe about drummers in Cuba). Words like “quiet” (Line 18) are relegated to their own lines, illustrating the isolation of someone who thinks differently than the majority.

The fifth stanza describes both the external and internal worlds of the girl. Outside her mind, she sees male drummers at “outdoor cafés” (Line 22). However, when she “close[s] her eyes” (Line 24), she perceives an internal world of music. Like many composers, she hears “her own imaginary / music” (Lines 26-27). This contrast develops the theme of gender roles: Millo is not supposed to play in these cafés because she is a girl.

In the sixth stanza, the narrator describes the natural sounds that inspire the girl’s “imaginary / music” (Lines 26-27). She listens to bird noises made by “parrot wings” (Line 31) and “woodpecker beaks” (Line 32). She also listens to the noises she makes moving through her environment—her “footsteps” (Line 34) and her “heartbeat” (Line 37); this shows how her musical mind turns her experience of island life into music.

The seventh and eighth stanzas continue to describe the girl’s world, full of inspiring sounds. She goes to “carnivals” (Line 38) and hears the sound of the stilts that the dancers use. This sound is compared to the sounds made by “costumed drummers” (Line 44) at the carnivals. This comparison further develops the idea of music reflecting life.

In the ninth stanza, the speaker follows the girl’s actions in her house. When alone or with her family, she uses her “fingertips” (Line 46) to drum on the furniture. This action may remind the careful reader of the sticks used to drum on timbales in stanza two. With her own body, she imitates what she sees and hears on any available surface.

The tenth stanza reiterates the gender stereotypes surrounding musicians. Historically, girls “have never played drums” (Line 53). The people in her life keep “reminding her” (Line 51) of this gendered division among musicians.

The eleventh stanza shows the girl’s response to this societal limitation. Despite the frequent reminders of gender stereotypes, she “dared to play” (Line 55) the different kinds of drums—conga drums, bongó drums, and timbales—found in Cuban music. This move from simply drumming on furniture to using actual instruments illustrates her bold nature.

In the twelfth stanza, the speaker describes the girl’s drumming. The movements of her hands—”rippled / rapped / and pounded / all the rhythms” (Lines 61-64)—have both a kinetic (physical) quality and a phonetic (auditory) quality. The words have heavy plosives in the ‘p’ sounds, which give a musicality to the words that imitate the sound of drums. Also, the alliteration of the letter ‘r’ adds a musical quality to this stanza.

In the thirteenth stanza, the speaker introduces the girl’s sisters. They are forming an “all-girl dance band” (Line 68) and, after hearing their younger sister’s drumming, want her to join the band. This is a reference to the Cuban band Anacaona—Engle’s inspiration for the poem.

The fourteenth stanza returns to gender norms, using the voice of the girl’s father. He asserts what others on the island believe—: “[O]nly boys / should play drums” (Lines 69-70). According to her father and society, other instruments are appropriate for girls to play, but not drums.

In the fifteenth stanza, the girl is bound by these societal expectations. Instead of being permitted to join her sister’s band, she has to drum, and dream, “alone” (Line 74). This stanza comes right before the turn of the poem, taking the theme of private sphere to its extreme in the girl’s isolation.

The sixteenth stanza is where the poem takes a turn—or shifts—in the girl’s favor, and on the path of gender equality. The father “finally” (Line 75) permits the girl to take drum lessons with a “music teacher” (Line 77). It is this male figure from outside the girl’s home who will objectively judge her skills.

The seventeenth and eighteenth stanzas are placed on adjacent pages, as opposed to the previous stanzas, which each had their own set of pages (one stanza per two pages). Being able to see the two stanzas about the girl’s music lessons side-by-side visually drives home the idea that the girl is no longer “alone” (Line 74). She shares the space with the teacher who is both “amazed” (Line 82) at her natural talent, and advances that talent with “more” (Line 84) knowledge. The repetition of “more” in Lines 84, 85, and 86 emphasizes how much the teacher shares with the girl. In response to what the teacher gives her, she “practices” (Line 87): This word is repeated three times as well, in Lines 87, 88, and 89. This repetition in the actions of both teacher and student shows balance on the two adjacent pages.

The nineteenth stanza shows the teacher guiding the girl into her first public performance. He decides when she is “ready” (Line 91) to play “small bongó drums” (Line 92) at the “café” (Line 93). The repetition of its description—the simile “looked like gardens” (Lines 22 and 94)—implies this café is the same one from stanza five. The girl enters the world which she was only able to observe before by breaking through gender stereotypes.

The twentieth and twenty-first stanzas are on the same page, showing how the inclusion of female drummers brings people together. The people love the girl’s drumming—they sing and dance to the music she makes. This experience of live music changes their minds about the gender stereotypes surrounding musicians; they decide that “girls should always / be allowed to play / drums” (Lines 100-102). Furthermore, gender should not stop anyone from feeling “free / to dream” (Lines 104-105). The final message of the poem is that there should be gender equality when following artistic passions.