Edgar Allan Poe (19 January 1809 - 7 October 1849 / Boston)

Yeah, I love this poem. I actually wrote a song about / inspired by it, aptly titled 'dream within a dream.' If you're interested you can check it out on my myspace page: http: //www.myspace.com/birdlipsmusic

To clearly understand Poe, one must throw out the notion that erudite vernacular [as so many of our classic and modern day poets employ for the WOW, effect], is not a requirement in architecting a well crafted poem...Poe was a genius...certified...yet (i.m.o.) he rarely implemented this advantage, in his poems.He did dig deep into his vast library of grey matter in scribing his short stories of macabre & mystery...And his obsessive compulsion for bizzare scenario and underlying Reader teasers did at times create complexities for the Reader in following Poe's multi-avenue ventures.I write today compliments of Edgar Allan Poe's impact on me...
And i consider his work to be arguably the very best that Literary history has to offer us.

FjR

It is indeed a matter of taste michael. All poetry is. Not everyone likes every great poet. I myself love Poe and I am familiar with his work, this being a favorite of mine.

I never really see what the fuss is about with EAP.There are miles better poets! Still a matter of taste I suppose...Zicky

I have a tendancy to get something different from poems than most, so please forgive me if you dissagree, or if you don't like what I say. To me this poem is completely about the futility of all of our lifes actions. We place such importance on what we do and the events in our lives, when in reality they mean nothing. I see the message of this poem as very similar to Shakespere's 'life is but a walking shaddow' diatribe. 'You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream; ' his days refer to his life and lifes actions, they are a dream is like saying that they don't matter. Dreams are gone as soon as you wake up, and they slip away fast. He tries to hold the grains of sand in his fingers, but they keep slipping away. The futile effort to do something more substancial than a dream.

Thanks for listening, and please forgive any typos/missspellings :)

yea i agree with you jacob! ! ! ! !

A seeker 'A Dream Withing A Dream' just as described. Lovely Sound, great 'Edgar Allan Poe'.

well well well i dont care what any1 says if u look hard anuf you can see the point of this poem it not all about death well kind of but not really no matter how tight you hold something it can always slip away.love.life.hope.even dreams and most other things i'm been readin poe form the time i was 10 and there is no greater THERE IS NO SECRET YOU'R LOOKIN TO DEEP

Dream within a dream...i love edgar allan poe...he has been one of my top poets ever since i was in grade school..this is a lovely poem

It's clear to me. As in so many other things, after 'The Secret' I see it everywhere, especially in the old great artists. The idea that all is a hologram has obviously been around for eons. It's the primary idea in the Bible in fact.

So about this poem in particular? He's grieving over his realisation that not even one grain of sand is real. Thinking of your favorite story, maybe it's Macbeth or thinking of your favorite song, they are non-existent. Pizza is non-existent. The Sierras are non-existent. The blue sky is an illusion. Is this something worth grieving over? I think yes, or at least it is in a mind not yet fully released from the illusion.

I'm not saying I buy The Secret. I'm saying Poe has or is contemplating buying into it and is grieving over the lose of the illusion.

The Secret is everywhere folks. It's in Shakepeare. It's in the movie A Space Odessey and The Tempest. It's Jesus primary idea. It's the Freemasons thing. It's everywhere. Read The Bible again, only this time with The Secret on your mind, you'll see I'm right and you'll be as shocked as I am.

I used to think Poe dwelled on some kind of morbid death fixation, but now I know it's The Secret ect.