I have to analyze a poem but I am having some trouble doing that. I got "A Dream" by E.A. Poe, what do you think its about, what was his dream?

A Dream
Edgar Allan Poe
In visions of the dark night
I have dreamed of joy departed
But a waking dream of life and light
Hath left me broken-hearted.
Ah! what is not a dream by day
To him whose eyes are cast
On things around him with a ray
Turned back upon the past?
That holy dream - that holy dream,
While all the world were chiding,
Hath cheered me as a lovely beam
A lonely spirit guiding.
What though that light, thro' storm and night,
So trembled from afar
What could there be more purely bright
In Truth's day-star?

Charlotte, there's no way of knowing what dream image Poe was referring to. He describes it as "holy" and "lovely" and "bright" and as representing "joy departed". He also describes it as cheering him at times when he faced criticism from all sides ("while all the world were chiding").

If you feel it necessary to speculate, you might find some material in his other poems. His idea of what was lovely could be very different from other peoples'. He was drawn to the dark side of imagination.

Enter "Poe" in the search facility in this Forum and read the comments about some of his other poems.

Ian

This poem has been discussed several times here at e-mule go here and then Google it: [www.emule.com] />

Les