Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Poetry Corner

A Dream within a Dream

Edgar Allan Poe

(1850)

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?

I haven't posted in awhile, been busy with studies but I will post something meaningful soon. Just thought I would share with you guys one of my favourite poems.

I love the whole Fantasy/reality dynamic though as a complete laymen in poetry analysis I will leave the in depth analyzing to the professionals. However as a layman for me the second stanza stands out. Our dreams are just like grains of sand, numerous and each one unique.Just like sand they can be blown away by the slightest problematic "gust" of life; usually these "gusts" occur all year around which can be highly annoying. Certain dreams no matter how hard we hold on to them just slip away with time, its never meant to be, whether it be in life or love some dreams are just one step too far. Think the worst thing is actually accepting and learning to deal with the loss of a dream and the period after where you have to fall back on "Plan B" or begin the tedious journey of formulating a new dream. The realization that some dreams are in fact merely dreams is the key. So hope you enjoyed it.

Kuwabara, Kuwabara
The Lone Writer

8 comments:

Libra said...

I have encountered Poe's short stories in many a collection of horror tales during my teenage meanderings in the library. He was obsessed with the uncanny, the safe familiar made unfamiliar...grotesque, repellent. Do you think his interest in dreams could have expressed the same impulse, instead of the standard Romantic obsession with transience? It would make an interesting reading of your favourite poem:)

Ruby :) said...

hey k-man
love the poem, and your analysis of dreams, and how we should realise that some dreams are not meant to be makes alot of sense..

"its never meant to be, whether it be in life or love some dreams are just one step too far." if only we could realise that, and believe it when we think it!!

Infinium said...

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Salma said...

Heey K :)
I read that poem before, ba' didn't go in deep.Now you gimme the chance to think about it more deeply, Although i'm not a poetry buff.

I liked your analysis of the second stanza and wanna share you what occured to me:

Dreams can be as a grain of sand, numerous...Yet, it annoys me that dreams might blow away easily with gusts and slip away so it becomes impossible to hold 'em...I think sometimes it's true..when it's our destiny..so they slip away and you'll never have the ability to hold 'em...ba' otherwise i think dreams aren't like sands considering that issue.
I think that Illusions can be more accurate than dreams when assimilating them to a grain of sand.

Nice choice :)

bb_aisha said...

I haven't read your blog in ages,and how fortunate that now when i do, i find a poem which reflects my current mood

Prixie said...

puts me in a hmmmmm mood

cathy said...

This is a great poem and seems to have inspired your own, whispers.
All good stuff!

irshaad said...

just a quick thought: perhaps some dreams are meant to go unfulfilled and in turn give life to other dreams that eventually become life? the function of dreams is such a debatable one