Class 7 :: English Literature :: A Dream Within a Dream by Edgar Allan Poe
A Dream Within a Dream
by Edgar Allan Poe
The Poem :
"Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow -
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand -
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep - while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
Summary of the poem :
The poet is bidding goodbye to his olden days and he says firmly that it was true that all those days were merely like dreams. It is only hope which help us to live thinking about the coming future. Time passes by. Anything, whether good or bad, fades away with the passage of time. Life is merely an illusion. It's a dream within a dream.
Life is full of more bad experiences. Amidst those, we hold on to the few good memories. We proceed through the journey of life counting those few golden moments. We ultimately fail to linger on those good experiences as those too fade away by the continuous waves of time. Time is pitiless and merciless. None is free from the retribution of time. So, the poet wonders whether life as we know and experience is real or simply an illusion.
Comprehension
1. "Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow - "
a. Who is the 'you' in the poem? Who do you think the poet is parting from?
= In the poem, 'you' is the passing time of the poet's life.
I think, the poet is parting from his olden days.
b. What gesture does the poet make as they part from each other?
= As we bid goodbye to our near and dear ones, the poet also bidding his passing time by kissing upon the brow. He is sad and disappointed to do the same.
c. Write one antonym of the word parting.
= One antonym of the word parting is meeting.
2. The two stanzas in the poem are two different scenes. Write one line about each stanza, explaining what scene it depicts.
= The first stanza has a melancholy note of leaving something or someone behind. As we get over from dream as we awake up, like the same the old days seem as dreams to the poet as time passes by. The poet is mournful leaving his olden times. As this meant that the span of life is reducing gradually. The line - "That my days have been a dream;" - brings the true essence of the first stanza in light.
The second stanza is all about hope and longing for the good time again which will help us to live our life happily. The poet wants to hold those golden days of life tightly as those are the inspiration of living life forward. The line - "O God! can I not grasp/Them with a tighter clasp?" - lets us know the meaning of the last para of the poem.
3. Explain in detail how the poet feels in this poem. Quote phrases or lines from the poem to support your explanation.
= The poet is in a melancholy mood. He is much disappointed to bid the time goodbye. He is now very much expressive in presenting his inner feelings which he can not suppress any longer. He says "let me avow -". He repents that "my days have been a dream". He realises that life is merely a dream in a dream.
He further says that he is standing on the shore of life which is laden with miseries. He is folding the few good golden memories of his life. He says "I hold within my hand/Grains of the golden sand-".
He urges to the God to let him to linger with his good times which have gone by. He wants to hold them tight in his fist and live life further. He more prays to Almighty to return him at least one good day which he wants to save from the merciless time. He ends with expressing his utter despair by saying "Is all that we see or seem/But a dream within a dream?"
4. What is this poem mainly about - reality or loss? Explain your answer in detail.
= The poem is mainly about both reality and loss. The poet is bidding goodbye to his olden days and he says firmly that it was true that all those days were merely like dreams. Here is the sense of loss. It is only hope which help us to live thinking about the coming future. Time passes by. Anything, whether good or bad, fades away with the passage of time. Life is merely an illusion. It's a dream within a dream.
The poet ultimately perceives the the true meaning of life. He represents the reality of life to us. Life is full of more bad experiences. Amidst those, we hold on to the few good memories. We proceed through the journey of life counting those few golden moments. We ultimately fail to linger on those good experiences as those too fade away by the continuous waves of time. Time is pitiless and merciless. None is free from the retribution of time. So, the poet wonders whether life as we know and experience is real or simply an illusion.
About the poet :
Edger Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, author, journalist and literary critic, credited with initiating the modern detective as well as the modern short story formats. His writings were characterized by mystery, darkness and often terror.