'The Dreamer' by Robert Service
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
The 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
A gaunt and hairy man with wolfish eyes.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Dreamer by Robert Service: A Dreamland of Emotions
Have you ever been lost in a dreamland of emotions? Have you ever felt like you were in two places at once, the real world and a world of your own creation? This is the world that Robert Service paints in his poem, The Dreamer.
The Dreamer is a poem that explores the duality of human existence. On one hand, we have the material world that we live in, with all its limitations and restrictions. On the other hand, we have the world of our imagination, where anything is possible, and we are free to create and explore without constraint.
The poem follows the journey of the dreamer as he moves between these two worlds. At the beginning of the poem, we find the dreamer lost in his thoughts, lost in his imagination. He is not content with the world around him, and he longs for something more.
"Perchance he hath no home, no love, no friend; / Yet would he rather live and dare and die / Than drag his numbered days without a sigh."
The dreamer is searching for something more significant than the mundane existence of everyday life. He wants to live a life full of adventure, full of passion, and full of purpose. He is willing to take risks and face the consequences, rather than live a life without meaning.
As the dreamer continues on his journey, he finds himself in a dreamland of his own creation. Here, he is free to explore and create without the constraints of the real world. In this dreamland, he meets a muse, a beautiful woman who inspires him to create. She is the embodiment of his imagination, the driving force behind his creativity.
"Her beauty touched him like a sword that stings, / And woke him from his lethargy of mood."
Through the muse, the dreamer finds the inspiration he needs to create his masterpiece, a work of art that captures the essence of his dreamland. The dreamer becomes so immersed in his creation that he forgets the real world, forgets the limitations and restrictions that exist outside of his imagination.
However, the dreamer soon realizes that he cannot live in his dreamland forever. He must return to the real world, to face the consequences of his actions. He must face the fact that his dreamland is just a creation of his own mind, and that the real world does not conform to his imagination.
"But he must wake, and, waking, he must weep / To find his visions but the ghosts of sleep."
The dreamer is torn between his two worlds, between the freedom of his imagination and the limitations of the real world. He cannot help but long for the world of his imagination, where he is free to create and explore without constraint.
In the end, the dreamer must accept the duality of his existence. He must accept that he is both a dreamer and a realist, that he must live in both worlds simultaneously. He must find a way to bring his dreams into the real world, to create a life that is full of passion and purpose.
The Dreamer is a powerful poem that speaks to the duality of human existence. It reminds us that we are not just physical beings but also beings of imagination and creativity. We must find a way to balance these two aspects of our existence, to create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling.
Robert Service has captured the essence of the human experience in The Dreamer. He has created a world that is both fantastical and real, a world that speaks to the innermost desires of our hearts. The Dreamer is a masterpiece of poetry, a work of art that will continue to inspire and captivate readers for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Dreamer: A Poem of Hope and Imagination
Robert Service, the renowned poet, has left an indelible mark on the world of literature with his powerful and evocative works. Among his many masterpieces, "The Dreamer" stands out as a timeless classic that captures the essence of human imagination and the power of hope. In this poem, Service takes us on a journey through the mind of a dreamer, exploring the depths of his imagination and the limitless possibilities that lie within.
The poem begins with the dreamer lying in bed, lost in thought and imagination. He is surrounded by darkness, but his mind is filled with light and wonder. He dreams of a world where anything is possible, where he can be whoever he wants to be and do whatever he wants to do. He dreams of a world where there are no limits, no boundaries, and no rules.
As the dreamer drifts deeper into his imagination, he begins to see the world around him in a new light. He sees the beauty in everything, from the stars in the sky to the flowers in the field. He sees the potential in every person, and he believes that anything is possible if only we have the courage to dream.
The dreamer's imagination takes him on a journey through time and space, from the depths of the ocean to the heights of the sky. He sees the wonders of the world, from the pyramids of Egypt to the Great Wall of China. He imagines himself as a hero, a conqueror, a king, and a god. He sees himself as the master of his own destiny, the architect of his own fate.
But as the dreamer's journey comes to an end, he realizes that his dreams are not just fantasies, but a reflection of his deepest desires and aspirations. He realizes that he has the power to make his dreams a reality, to shape his own destiny, and to create a world that is truly his own.
"The Dreamer" is a poem that speaks to the heart of every person who has ever dared to dream. It reminds us that our imagination is a powerful tool that can help us overcome our fears and limitations, and that our dreams are the key to unlocking our true potential. It encourages us to embrace our innermost desires and to pursue them with passion and determination.
The poem is also a testament to the power of hope. It shows us that even in the darkest of times, when all seems lost, there is always a glimmer of hope that can light the way forward. It reminds us that hope is not just a feeling, but a force that can move mountains and change the world.
In terms of literary devices, Service employs a number of techniques to bring the dreamer's journey to life. He uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of the dreamer's world, from the "velvet cloak of darkness" that surrounds him to the "golden sun of morning" that heralds the dawn. He uses repetition to emphasize the dreamer's message, repeating the phrase "I am the master of my fate" throughout the poem. He also uses metaphor to convey the dreamer's sense of empowerment, comparing him to a "god" and a "king" as he imagines himself in different roles.
Overall, "The Dreamer" is a poem that inspires us to dream big and to believe in ourselves. It reminds us that our imagination is a powerful force that can help us overcome our fears and limitations, and that our dreams are the key to unlocking our true potential. It is a timeless classic that will continue to inspire generations to come, and a testament to the enduring power of hope and imagination.
Editor Recommended Sites
SRE Engineer: Guide to SRE engineeringHL7 to FHIR: Best practice around converting hl7 to fhir. Software tools for FHIR conversion, and cloud FHIR migration using AWS and GCP
Learning Path Video: Computer science, software engineering and machine learning learning path videos and courses
Streaming Data: Data streaming and data movement best practice for cloud, software engineering, cloud
Devops Automation: Software and tools for Devops automation across GCP and AWS
Recommended Similar Analysis
A Man's Requirements by Elizabeth Barrett Browning analysisTo my Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet analysis
Elegy X: The Dream by John Donne analysis
An Immorality by Ezra Pound analysis
Home Burial by Robert Lee Frost analysis
The Lady Of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennyson analysis
I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud by William Wordsworth analysis
Love's Function Is To Fabricate Unknownness by e.e. cummings analysis
Ah, Are You Digging On My Grave? by Thomas Hardy analysis
I never saw a Moor- by Emily Dickinson analysis