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The Dream - John Donne

Dear love, for nothing less than thee 

Would I have broke this happy dream; 

            It was a theme 

For reason, much too strong for fantasy, 

Therefore thou wak'd'st me wisely; yet 

My dream thou brok'st not, but continued'st it. 

Thou art so true that thoughts of thee suffice 

To make dreams truths, and fables histories; 

Enter these arms, for since thou thought'st it best, 

Not to dream all my dream, let's act the rest. 


   As lightning, or a taper's light, 

Thine eyes, and not thy noise wak'd me; 

            Yet I thought thee 

(For thou lovest truth) an angel, at first sight; 

But when I saw thou sawest my heart, 

And knew'st my thoughts, beyond an angel's art, 

When thou knew'st what I dreamt, when thou knew'st when 

Excess of joy would wake me, and cam'st then,

I must confess, it could not choose but be 

Profane, to think thee any thing but thee. 


   Coming and staying show'd thee, thee, 

But rising makes me doubt, that now 

            Thou art not thou. 

That love is weak where fear's as strong as he; 

'Tis not all spirit, pure and brave, 

If mixture it of fear, shame, honour have; 

Perchance as torches, which must ready be, 

Men light and put out, so thou deal'st with me; 

Thou cam'st to kindle, goest to come; then I 

Will dream that hope again, but else would die. 



The central idea of this poem is that love in fantasy, in dream is more perfect and fulfilled than love in reality. Love in reality makes both the persons aware of differences and the happiness disappears. In the world of fantasy the beloved is as per desire of lover and so the lover enjoys that dream more than the real company of his beloved.

The first stanza of the poem makes clear that her impression is carved on his heart and it gives good value to his heart. The lover gives the example of the king and the coin. The way king's image gives value to the coin, her image in his heart gives value to his heart. The lover believes that his heart has grown so great and so good because of her image that now he cannot keep it. It is a medal which he would like to give to her.

After his beloved is gone, the lover can experience her presence in his dream which gives him more joy than her real presence. In the dream he can escape from his pain. The lover knows that after remaining in the dream, he will have to come back to the world of reality. But he would not repent for remaining in the dream.

Next poet says that a person can experience true joy only in a dream. The lover would like to be a mass person with a heart, filled with her love. He does not want to be an idiot without heart and her love.

Thus, the poet  prefers dream to her presence for the real joy of love.


Comments

  1. Wow! That was an awesome post. John Donne was a great poet and his literary work is also good, I learn that John Donne's metaphysical writing also good and John Donne was a poet of honor. বাংলায় পড়ছি

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