The poem Dead leaves by Georgia Douglas Johnson's represents the theme of the section that we read. “The breaking dead leaves” ties to the setting of the section of the novel, the death of nature, the season of winter, and the losses of all those around the characters. “A plaintive melody repeats” can represent their constant journey of walking and sleeping while also the sound of the call for death, the child has been prepared for death and doesn’t care if he dies anymore the call of death is just a matter of when they will answer it.. Similar to the protagonist recalling memories of his wife and his friends the poem reads “Recalling shattered hopes that lie” where he had hoped to live a happy life with his family but all was not as it once
