Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on 19 January 1809, Edgar Allan Poe is widely recognised as one of the seminal voices of the American literature. Best known as the master of the macabre, his writings are very diverse, including numerous short stories, essays, and poems. Almost two centuries after his death, his Dark Romanticist writings continue to play a major influence on contemporary culture.
In this post weโll read his poem โA Dream Within a Dreamโ. First published in 1849, shortly before he died, itโs often described as dreary and melancholic, and while we can certainly feel the despair in it, we should also recognise its philosophical nature. The poet wonders whether the world and life as we know it might actually be merely a dreamโan illusion. Nightmarishly, even if we would wake up from this dream, weโd still find ourselves in another dream: thereโs no waking up to actual, โrealโ reality.
If youโre curious about this unsettling idea, you can further explore the rich legacy of philosophers who entertained the same or similar notions, from Plato and Descartes to Buddhist masters. Please see the links at the bottom of the post for suggested reading. Youโll also find the links to additional resources on Poe and this poem in particular.
And if youโre less philosophically inclined and just want to practise some vocabulary, thereโs an exercise for you below the poem, as well.
Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avowโ 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 sandโ How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weepโwhile 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?
VOCABULARY EXERCISE
Match the following verbs from the poem (listed in alphabetical order) with their definitions or synonyms:
avow | creep | deem | grasp | part | weep
- to take and hold something firmly
- to leave from someone
- to cry
- to consider, regard, judge
- to admit, confess openly
- to move slowly and quietly, so as not to be noticed
To check your answers, please click here.
RECOMMENDED READING
โA Dream Within a Dreamโ (a detailed poem analysis)
Does Quantum Mechanics Reveal That Life Is But a Dream?
Enlightenment Rests on the Dream
The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
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