Subscribe: by Email | in Reader

Dreams -- Robert Herrick

       
(Poem #665) Dreams
 Here we are all, by day; by night we're hurled
 By dreams, each one, into a several world.
-- Robert Herrick
Epigrams, even more than other poems, demand an absolute perfection of
design and execution if they are to work at all. One syllable out of place,
and the entire effect is ruined... conversely, the very best examples of the
genre seem to have lasted forever, so naturally do the words, sounds and
meanings fit together. Herrick's couplet on dreams falls in the latter
category [1].

Technical mastery apart, I like epigrams (whether they be by Horace or
Hafiz, Blake or Basho) for the same reason I like haiku and other
minimalistic forms of verse - so much of the interpretation is left to the
reader; the poetry expands in the mind's eye. Again, Herrick's poem is an
excellent example thereof: the image of being "hurled" (no other word will
do) into "several worlds" by dreams offers limitless possibilities to the
reader willing to explore its depths...

thomas.

[1] As does most of his work; as I've commented before, his poetry is
possessed of "a remarkable felicity of rhythm and rhyme". See the links
section below for examples.

[Minstrels Links]

The Minstrels archive, http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels, has the
following poems by Robert Herrick:

Delight in Disorder, Poem #332
The Night Piece, to Julia, Poem #398
The Hag, Poem #593

The second poem above has a brief biography, and links to some other of his
pieces.

17 comments: ( or Leave a comment )

Anonymous said...

you are completely wrong to say that

" the image of being "hurled" (no other word will do) into "several worlds" by dreams "

It is markedly NOT "several worlds", but each "into A several WORLD." The beauty and crux of the poem is the use of the adjective "several" to modify a singular noun. The single noun is split by "several" just as the singular "world" we inhabit contains many smaller worlds of dream. Yes?

Anonymous said...

Several is the opposite of collective

The word several in this case does not mean multiple worlds , but one of many seperate worlds (think of 'to sever' or split apart something). So although we all share one world by day, at night we are each in our own, private world in our dreams.

Anonymous said...

wow

Anonymous said...

alllllll yall need a lif e...get off this wack ass web site.SMH

buy viagra without prescription said...

She loves me-loves me not.
My hands I pick
and having broken my fingers
fling away.
So the first daisy-heads
one happens to flick
are plucked,
and guessing,
scattered into May.
Let a cut and shave
reveal my grey hairs.
Let the silver of the years
ring out endlessly !
Shameful common sense -
I hope, I swear -
Will never come
to me.

Anonymous said...

We are a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in
our community. Your website offered us with valuable information to work on.

You've done a formidable job and our whole community will be grateful to you.

Check out my homepage :: Sherri Piehler

Anonymous said...

There's a big chance your self the reason why anywhere obtained the like. Is always to in selecting an industrial stove may be to locate prime quality you're looking for.
Now this jogs my memory rrn the Henry foreman barbq.


Also visit my homepage Alejandrina Naill

Anonymous said...

This excellent meal is de facto a suitable Victoria
sponge food offered the chocolate candy treatments!
Cup glass are almost always partioned to positioned away through the build often known as spacers.

A lot of people do prefer a much little cooked pasta as opposed to those.

Due to the Yorkshire Terrier could be petite canine breed, all the tag accommodates the small scale you
see, the dog.

Here is my web-site - Garrett Mccollough

Anonymous said...

Currently the Foods Sante dishes washes definitely. Remember
that web template every appliance during polymer
clay you could possibly never again apply it to dietary; but, you should
prevent your clay merchandise outside of the food unit.
Choice accommodation to their job by so you're able to reveal your main clay-based. It is easy to choose which idea meets your needs in addition to budgets. Assemble the dessert places from your gear then jitters correct almost all well-coated.

My web blog: Sima Isaacsen

Obat Pembesar Penis said...

nice article guy....good work for you and your aticle very usefull for me

Obat Kuat said...

We will have a hyperlink change agreement among us

Post a Comment