The Imagery Of Light Used In The Poem Dream-land

Imagine a world in which we had no pictures and nothing to look at. Now, imagine a world without music or melody, these two elements are necessary factors in our life and without them, we ourselves won’t be human. In the poem “Dream-Land,” the author uses two main literary devices to portray vivid images and melody to the poem, ultimately giving the reader a sense of setting and emotion. Imagery is defined as a literary term used for the language that appeals to our five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. On the other hand, rhyme is defined as the correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words. By analyzing the poem “Dream-Land” written by Edgar Allan Poe, we can notice that the author uses imagery as a way for the reader to imagine a world the poet has created. This use of language enables the reader to connect with the ideas of the author. In the same fashion, rhyme helps give the poem melody, bringing forth emotions from the reader, eventually connecting him/her to the poet’s emotions as well.

Poe introduces this quote ‘For the dews that drip all over…” (Poe 11-15) with an individual who discovers a mysterious island with mystical creatures such as ghosts. The author presents this individual as a person who comes from a place far away and ends up on an island no man has ever been to. The author uses specific examples of imagery in this quote to give a sense of how unusual this certain island is:

For the dews that drip all over;

Mountains toppling evermore

Into seas without a shore;

Seas that restlessly aspire,

Surging, unto skies of fire. ( Poe 11-15)

In lines 12 and 15, Poe uses phrases such as mountains toppling over each other, and skies on fire to set a visualization of the character surrounded by mountains and the sky hinting a color of a red meaning night time. Poe uses the imagery in this quote to describe the surrounding environment to show how unique and unusual this island is compared to what the reader is accustomed towards. By using imagery, the author is connecting with the reader in terms of visual representation of ideas. Poe uses rhyme throughout his poem to create a sense of melody and ultimately produce emotion from the reader. He includes a rhyme scheme to add a melodic, song-type feel to it. Mostly throughout this quote, Poe includes the same three-letter ending for a pair of two lines:

By each spot the most unholy

In each nook most melancholy,

Their the traveler meets aghast

Sheeted Memories of the Past (Poe 35-38)

This quote has a rhyme scheme of a,a,b,b. All throughout this quote, Poe keeps the same rhyme for each line to keep the flow, between the lines, constant. He uses words such as melancholy and unholy to give the reader a negative image. By using words like these, Poe sets a mood of sadness and danger. In line number 38, the author uses the phrase “Sheeted Memories of the Past”, which means that the individual is seeing his past family/friends who have been forgotten. By using this phrase, Poe introduces the concept of ghosts leaving the reader with a visualization of the world the author has created.

Throughout this poem, Poe uses references to unusual names to characters such as Eidolon and Thule. He uses these names to relate the reader to the experiences of a foreign world such as the one the poet has created. This also helps the reader to better understand the poem and connect with the history of these names to ultimately enjoy reading it.

By the route obscure and lonely

Haunted by ill angels only,

Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,

On a black throne reigns upright,

I have reached these lands but newly

From an ultimate dim Thule (Poe 1-6)

The word eidolon comes from Greek literature which means the shade of a dead person. Poe uses this word to send an image of the night on that day. Meanwhile, the word Thule is used to describe places that are distant or unknown to anyone. In brief, the author uses these words to give the reader an understanding that the character has walked into an island that is unknown to humans and is beyond our imaginations. Ultimately, creating a connection between the ideas of the author and the reader.

“Dream-Land” is an established poem that has reached to the point of popularity. It became well-known for its use of imagery and unusual spookiness for the poem. Another aspect that helped lead it to fame was the rhyme. Most importantly its rhyme scheme. First, by using imagery, Poe allowed the reader to clearly imagine the world he had created to build a strong connection between him and his readers. Second, by Poe also including rhyme, it led to the reader flowing through the poem musically and instantly, anticipating the next ending word, making them want to read more of the poem.

Imagery can be used not only in writing but also in the outside world circumstances. Such as when an individual is able to create a scene in their own minds, this allows them to make a better connection between memories and perceptions. Hence useful for being a cop or a detective. Rhyme is also important in the outside world. For example, the music industry is one of the biggest of them all. Without rhyme in many songs we enjoy, each and every one of them won’t be listenable. So rhyme doesn’t just have use in poems but also in any form of writing. Ultimately making these two literary elements not only important in this poem but also everywhere we go.