A dream to some, a nightmare to others," Merlin/Excalibur
Empirical reality may be ethereal, but it is certainly not disembodied. Nature is offhandedly enthusiastic about express delivering bursting cans of whoop ass.
Beautiful quote. Can you provide the exact source? I tried a bit of Googling but couldn't find it.
I'm sure Jorge Luis Borges must have been aware of the line -not only the idea of nested dreams appears in many of his works, but I also seem to recall he uses an almost literal Spanish version of this quote once or twice. I didn't know it came form Poe.
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?
Edgar Allan Poe
Bee, came by way of Lubos and I really like your blog!
"Dreamer"
4 Comments -
A dream to some, a nightmare to others," Merlin/Excalibur
Empirical reality may be ethereal, but it is certainly not disembodied. Nature is offhandedly enthusiastic about express delivering bursting cans of whoop ass.
9:48 PM, May 18, 2006
Beautiful quote. Can you provide the exact source? I tried a bit of Googling but couldn't find it.
I'm sure Jorge Luis Borges must have been aware of the line -not only the idea of nested dreams appears in many of his works, but I also seem to recall he uses an almost literal Spanish version of this quote once or twice. I didn't know it came form Poe.
7:51 AM, May 19, 2006
The entire poem is just as interesting:
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?
Edgar Allan Poe
Bee, came by way of Lubos and I really like your blog!
10:38 AM, May 19, 2006
Hi alejandro,
the poem is called A Dream within a Dream, and you can probably find it in some Poe-collection, sorry, don't know an exact reference.
Thanks for the nice words, rea ann :-)
5:45 PM, May 19, 2006