A Day-dream

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a waking dream, a mental landscape conjured when the eyes are closed. The narrator sees a serene scene: a fountain, a willow tree, a ruined hut, and two companions, Mary and another figure addressed as "thee" (later revealed as "Asra"). This idyllic vision is a sanctuary, a place where gentle comfort is found, with Mary's lap serving as a pillow and the willow as a bower. The imagery of a wild-rose roofing the shed and "two dear names carved upon the tree" suggests a deep, established bond and a shared history within this imagined space. The tears mentioned are explicitly not of sorrow, hinting at a future reunion and reinforcing the positive, hopeful nature of this internal world. The core tension arises from the shifting reality between the dream and the present. The narrator initially describes a daytime scene that then transforms into a "dark warm night" with "balmiest" June air, complete with stars and a glow-worm. This temporal and atmospheric shift within the dream itself highlights its fluid, constructed nature. The subsequent lines, "Fount, tree and shed are gone, I know not whither, / But in one quiet room we three are still together," mark a pivotal moment where the external, elaborate dreamscape dissolves, leaving only the essential connection between the three individuals in a simple, shared space. This transition underscores the idea that the emotional core of the dream is the presence of these loved ones, not the elaborate setting. The most striking craft element is the blurring of sensory experience and the manipulation of time and space. The narrator states, "My eyes make pictures, when they are shut," directly linking internal vision to external reality. Later, "The shadows dance upon the wall, / By the still dancing fire-flames made" and "now they slumber, moveless all! / And now they melt to one deep shade!" show how even the perception of light and shadow is subject to the dream's will. The final lines, "Thine eyelash on my cheek doth play— / 'Tis Mary's hand upon my brow!" achieve a profound intimacy by manifesting the imagined touch of the dream figures onto the narrator's physical self, demonstrating the dream's power to create tangible sensations. The poem concludes with a quiet, intimate plea for the dream to remain, "But not from me shall this mild darkness steal thee: / I dream thee with mine eyes, and at my heart I feel thee!" This piece is effective because it grounds an abstract concept – the power of imagination and memory – in concrete, sensory details and emotional resonance. The contrast between the elaborate, romanticized outdoor setting and the final, simple "one quiet room" emphasizes that the true solace comes from human connection. The narrator's ability to "dream thee with mine eyes" and feel the presence of loved ones, even as the dream's scenery fades, speaks to the enduring strength of affection and the mind's capacity to sustain it. The final lines, a whispered murmur meant only for the "two beloved women," create a sense of profound, private joy and contentment derived from this internal, shared reality.