'The Dreamer' by Robert Service


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Rhymes of a Rolling StoneThe lone man gazed and gazed upon his gold,
His sweat, his blood, the wage of weary days;
But now how sweet, how doubly sweet to hold
All gay and gleamy to the campfire blaze.
The evening sky was sinister and cold;
The willows shivered, wanly lay the snow;
The uncommiserating land, so old,
So worn, so grey, so niggard in its woe,
Peered through its ragged shroud. The lone man sighed,
Poured back the gaudy dust into its poke,
Gazed at the seething river listless-eyed,
Loaded his corn-cob pipe as if to smoke;
Then crushed with weariness and hardship crept
Into his ragged robe, and swiftly slept.. . . . .Hour after hour went by; a shadow slipped
From vasts of shadow to the camp-fire flame;
Gripping a rifle with a deadly aim,
A gaunt and hairy man with wolfish eyes . . .* * * * * * *The sleeper dreamed, and lo! this was his dream:
He rode a streaming horse across a moor.
Sudden 'mid pit-black night a lightning gleam
Showed him a way-side inn, forlorn and poor.
A sullen host unbarred the creaking door,
And led him to a dim and dreary room;
Wherein he sat and poked the fire a-roar,
So that weird shadows jigged athwart the gloom.
He ordered wine. 'Od's blood! but he was tired.
What matter! Charles was crushed and George was King;
His party high in power; how he aspired!
Red guineas packed his purse, too tight to ring.
The fire-light gleamed upon his silken hose,
His silver buckles and his powdered wig.
What ho! more wine! He drank, he slowly rose.
What made the shadows dance that madcap jig?
He clutched the candle, steered his way to bed,
And in a trice was sleeping like the dead.. . . . .Across the room there crept, so shadow soft,
His sullen host, with naked knife a-gleam,
(A gaunt and hairy man with wolfish eyes.) . . .
And as he lay, the sleeper dreamed a dream.* * * * * *'Twas in a ruder land, a wilder day.
A rival princeling sat upon his throne,
Within a dungeon, dark and foul he lay,
With chains that bit and festered to the bone.
They haled him harshly to a vaulted room,
Where One gazed on him with malignant eye;
And in that devil-face he read his doom,
Knowing that ere the dawn-light he must die.
Well, he was sorrow-glutted; let them bring
Their prize assassins to the bloody work.
His kingdom lost, yet would he die a King,
Fearless and proud, as when he faced the Turk.
Ah God! the glory of that great Crusade!
The bannered pomp, the gleam, the splendid urge!
The crash of reeking combat, blade to blade!
The reeling ranks, blood-avid and a-surge!
For long he thought; then feeling o'er him creep
Vast weariness, he fell into a sleep.. . . . .The cell door opened; soft the headsman came,
Within his hand a mighty axe a-gleam,
(A gaunt and hairy man with wolfish eyes,) . . .
And as he lay, the sleeper dreamed a dream.* * * * * *'Twas in a land unkempt of life's red dawn;
Where in his sanded cave he dwelt alone;
Sleeping by day, or sometimes worked upon
His flint-head arrows and his knives of stone;
By night stole forth and slew the savage boar,
So that he loomed a hunter of loud fame,
And many a skin of wolf and wild-cat wore,
And counted many a flint-head to his name;
Wherefore he walked the envy of the band,
Hated and feared, but matchless in his skill.
Till lo! one night deep in that shaggy land,
He tracked a yearling bear and made his kill;
Then over-worn he rested by a stream,
And sank into a sleep too deep for dream.. . . . .Hunting his food a rival caveman crept
Through those dark woods, and marked him where he lay;
Cowered and crawled upon him as he slept,
Poising a mighty stone aloft to slay --
(A gaunt and hairy man with wolfish eyes.) . . .* * * * * *The great stone crashed. The Dreamer shrieked and woke,
And saw, fear-blinded, in his dripping cell,
A gaunt and hairy man, who with one stroke
Swung a great ax of steel that flashed and fell . . .
So that he woke amid his bedroom gloom,
And saw, hair-poised, a naked, thirsting knife,
A gaunt and hairy man with eyes of doom --
And then the blade plunged down to drink his life . . .
So that he woke, wrenched back his robe, and looked,
And saw beside his dying fire upstart
A gaunt and hairy man with finger crooked --
A rifle rang, a bullet searched his heart . . .* * * * * *The morning sky was sinister and cold.
Grotesque the Dreamer sprawled, and did not rise.
For long and long there gazed upon some gold

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Dreamer by Robert Service: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

Have you ever had a dream that felt so real, yet so surreal? A dream that transported you to another world, another time, and made you question your own existence? That is what Robert Service's "The Dreamer" is all about. A poem that captures the essence of dreaming and the human desire to escape reality.

"The Dreamer" is a narrative poem that tells the story of a man who falls asleep under a tree and dreams of a land far away. The dream takes him on a journey through mountains, valleys, and rivers, where he meets strange and exotic creatures. The dreamer is fascinated by this world, and he wishes to stay there forever. However, when he wakes up, he realizes that it was all just a dream, and he is back in the real world.

The poem is written in the first person, which gives the reader a sense of intimacy with the dreamer. The dreamer's voice is soft and dreamy, and it is as if he is speaking directly to the reader. Service's use of language is simple and straightforward, which makes the poem easy to understand. However, the simplicity of the language does not detract from the beauty of the poem. Instead, it enhances it, as it allows the reader to focus on the imagery and the message of the poem.

The poem is divided into six stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, which gives the poem a musical quality. The repetition of the rhyme scheme also emphasizes the dreamlike quality of the poem. The poem has a slow and steady pace, which adds to the dreamy atmosphere.

The opening lines of the poem set the stage for the dreamer's journey:

In slumber deep and sweet, I dreamed such endless things, Beheld such heaven and earth meet, Such wild imaginings.

The dreamer is in a state of deep sleep, and he is completely immersed in his dream. The dream is so vivid that it seems real to him. He sees heaven and earth meeting, which suggests that he is in a place that is neither heaven nor earth.

In the second stanza, the dreamer describes the landscape:

I wandered in a world of dreams, A land of mist and mystery, Where rocks are made of opal gleams, And valleys paved with ivory.

The dreamer is in a world of dreams, where everything is misty and mysterious. The landscape is otherworldly, with rocks that gleam like opals and valleys that are paved with ivory. The description of the landscape is rich in imagery and creates a sense of wonder and enchantment.

In the third stanza, the dreamer encounters a strange creature:

There came to me a creature weird, Half bird, half beast, with flame-red eyes, And in its beak it fiercely seared A serpent of prodigious size.

The creature that the dreamer encounters is half bird, half beast, with flame-red eyes. The creature is so strange that it defies description. It is also dangerous, as it has a serpent of prodigious size in its beak. The encounter with the creature adds to the dreamer's sense of adventure and danger.

In the fourth stanza, the dreamer meets a beautiful woman:

Then came a maid, so sweetly fair, With hair like gold and robe of snow, And in her hand a lute so rare It made my heartstrings glow.

The dreamer meets a beautiful woman with hair like gold and a robe of snow. The woman is so beautiful that she takes the dreamer's breath away. She also has a lute that is so rare that it makes the dreamer's heartstrings glow. The encounter with the beautiful woman adds to the dreamer's sense of wonder and enchantment.

In the fifth stanza, the dreamer expresses his desire to stay in the dream:

Oh, could I linger in this land, Of mist and mystery and dream, And on the ivory pavements stand, And by the opal rivers gleam.

The dreamer is so enchanted by the dream that he wants to stay there forever. He wants to stand on the ivory pavements and by the opal rivers and bask in the beauty of the dreamland. The dreamer's desire to stay in the dreamland is a reflection of the human desire to escape reality and live in a world of fantasy.

In the sixth and final stanza, the dreamer wakes up:

And then I woke, and all was gone, The mist, the mystery, the dream, The precious opal, ivory lawn, The maiden and her lute's sweet theme.

The dreamer wakes up, and he realizes that it was all just a dream. The mist, the mystery, and the dream are all gone, and he is back in the real world. The dreamer is left with a sense of loss and disappointment, as he has been forced to return to reality.

In conclusion, "The Dreamer" is a beautiful and enchanting poem that captures the essence of dreaming and the human desire to escape reality. Service's use of simple language and rich imagery creates a dreamlike atmosphere that draws the reader into the dreamer's world. The poem is a testament to the power of imagination and the human spirit, which allows us to dream of a better world and a better life.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The Dreamer: A Poetic Journey into the Realm of Imagination

Robert Service, the renowned poet, has left an indelible mark on the world of literature with his captivating and thought-provoking works. Among his many masterpieces, "The Dreamer" stands out as a timeless classic that continues to inspire and enchant readers to this day. In this 2000-word analysis, we will delve deep into the world of "The Dreamer" and explore the themes, imagery, and symbolism that make this poem a true work of art.

The poem begins with a vivid description of a "dreamer" who is lost in his own world of imagination. The dreamer is portrayed as a solitary figure, wandering through the "lonely night" with only his thoughts for company. The opening lines of the poem set the tone for what is to come, as we are immediately drawn into the dreamer's world and invited to share in his journey.

As the poem progresses, we see the dreamer's imagination come to life in the form of vivid and fantastical imagery. We are transported to a world of "purple seas" and "golden skies," where "dragons fly" and "mermaids sing." The dreamer's world is one of endless possibility, where anything is possible and nothing is impossible.

However, as the dreamer continues on his journey, we begin to see a darker side to his imagination. The poem takes on a more ominous tone as we are introduced to the "black abyss" and the "dreadful void." The dreamer's world is no longer a place of pure imagination, but a place where danger and uncertainty lurk around every corner.

Despite the dangers that the dreamer faces, he continues on his journey with a sense of wonder and curiosity. He is not afraid to explore the unknown and to take risks in pursuit of his dreams. This sense of bravery and determination is a recurring theme throughout the poem, as the dreamer faces one challenge after another and emerges stronger and more resilient each time.

As the poem draws to a close, we see the dreamer return to the real world, where he is greeted by the "cold grey dawn." The contrast between the dreamer's world of imagination and the harsh reality of the real world is stark, and we are left with a sense of longing for the world of the dreamer.

In many ways, "The Dreamer" can be seen as a metaphor for the human experience. We all have our own dreams and aspirations, and we all face challenges and obstacles along the way. The dreamer's journey is a reminder that we should never give up on our dreams, no matter how difficult or impossible they may seem.

The imagery and symbolism used throughout the poem are also worth exploring in more detail. The "purple seas" and "golden skies" represent the dreamer's idealized world, where everything is perfect and beautiful. The dragons and mermaids represent the fantastical creatures that inhabit the dreamer's world, while the "black abyss" and "dreadful void" represent the unknown and the dangers that lurk in the shadows.

The dreamer himself can be seen as a symbol of the human spirit, with his unwavering determination and sense of wonder. His journey is a reminder that we should never lose sight of our dreams, no matter how difficult or impossible they may seem.

In conclusion, "The Dreamer" is a timeless classic that continues to inspire and enchant readers to this day. Robert Service's masterful use of imagery and symbolism, combined with his powerful message of hope and determination, make this poem a true work of art. Whether you are a dreamer yourself or simply appreciate the beauty of the written word, "The Dreamer" is a must-read for anyone who loves poetry.

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