Question

Read the following poem by Edgar Allen Poe and answer the question that follows.

A Dream Within a Dream

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?

What, if anything, does the sand in this poem symbolize? Defend your answer in at least three complete sentences.

Answer 1

What do you think it symbolizes? Do you have any ideas?

Answer 2

No, I am kind of confused as to what I could say.

Answer 3

@Shadow @Flamo

Answer 4

I'm currently rereading it again, to make sure I don't miss any details

Answer 5

The sand can mean anything but I think it most likely means the time he has and the memories he shares.

Answer 6

Just BS your way to three sentences and boom done.

Answer 7

The imagery is creating a picture of erosion upon the beach.

"Of a surf-tormented shore"
This declares that the water is 'tormenting' the sand

"And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand"
This makes it sound like he is cradling it, with a positive disposition towards it.

"O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?"

This makes it clear that he is trying to save this sand, however small, from the torments of the ocean.

Overall, water, or the ocean in this case, is often used as a metaphor for life falling against the shore (of you) and eroding it away. It's emotional and it depicts life as being difficult. Here. the speaker is trying to gain some sort of control in his life (or dream) and this sand helps the reader see this (by his attempts to at least save the sand from the water). You can see his pleas to God, as an act of desperation which further strengthens this theory.

Answer 8

In my opinion, the whole poem means the time that Edgar had wasted in his life. It slipped through his hands, and made him feel as if it was all out of control. He felt hopelessnes, as if time was going to fast and it made him so frustrated, at the idea of death itself, and we are all just going to die.

Answer 9

Mine kinda sucks now looking at Shadow's, so I suggest looking at Shadow's.

Answer 10

Thank you guys so much for helping me. Today has been a rough day and I am just not clasping to things so good. Once again, thank y'all!