Life is but a Dream

Life is but a Dream

by Lewis Carroll

A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July

Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear

Long has paled that sunny sky;
Echoes fade and memories die;
Autumn frosts have slain July.

Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.

Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.

In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die;

Ever drifting down the stream
Lingering in the golden gleam
Life, what is it but a dream?

Meanings of Life is but a Dream by Lewis Carroll

The poem “Life is but a Dream” by Lewis Carroll presents the small tale of a boat moving in a river that haunts the poet long afterward with the thoughts that the children huddled in it would be thinking about it, but the question stays whether life is like this dream or something else. The poet compares life with this boat that lingers in one’s mind long afterward.

Meanings of Stanza -1

A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July

 This is the first stanza of the poem that presents the situation. It is a boat that is going on in a river under a sunny sky in the month of July. It is moving slowly and gradually onward as if in a dream. This dream lingers in the mind of the poet, who moves forward with this scene in his mind. The stanza contributes to the main idea of the poem through its dreamy and slow strain.

Meanings of Stanza -2

Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear

Second stanza of the poem presents three children who are at ease in the boat rowing happily. They are very eager to see it and happy to hear the stories of the poet. They are happy that they have been enjoying the company of a good teller of tales. The poet wants to continue with the dreamy quality of the poem to merge it with the theme that life is a dream.

Meanings of Stanza -3

Long has paled that sunny sky;
Echoes fade and memories die;
Autumn frosts have slain July.

Now the time has passed. The poet says that the sunny sky has transformed into a pale sky. It is the time of the evening the echoes of the birds have faded, and memories have died. The frost has replaced the month of July. Although it is just the passing of time, memories suggest that it is the passing of the prime time that is the youth when the poet sat in that boat with the children. However, its memory is quite fresh in his mind despite the passing of years. This adds to the main idea that life is but a dream.

Meanings of Stanza -4

Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.

The poet states that it seems that the boat is in his memory and Alice is a phantom stuck somewhere in the inner recesses. He sees Alice moving under the skies. The interesting thing, however, about it is that no waking eye can see it. It only comes in dreams or through his imagination. This lingers in the recesses of his mind in that it connects with the main idea of life as a dream.

Meanings of Stanza -5

Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.

This stanza again presents children who are in the imagination of the poet. He sees the children who are eager to see and willing to hear his stories. That is why they huddle with each other waiting for the boat to show them or for the poet to narrate stories as the poet sees them in his mind’s eye. This again shows the connection with the main idea that life is just a dream like this one.

Meanings of Stanza -6

In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die;

This stanza shows the children living in a world of fantasy which is a wonderland. They lie down but time passes by and does not wait for them. Although they dream about other things, the summer passes and gives way to some other season lying in waiting. Life is going on like their dreams. This is the final step toward the main idea that the poet presents in the next stanza.

Meanings of Stanza -7

Ever drifting down the stream
Lingering in the golden gleam
Life, what is it but a dream?

This is the poet’s first stated that there is a stream. However, he shows the stream drifting, showing golden gleams. He compares it with Life and questions whether it is a dream. In fact, he wants to state that it could be a dream or a nightmare but leaves it with a question mark to give a chance to the readers to think about it.

Summary of Life is but a Dream

• Popularity of “Life is but a Dream”: Written by Lewis Caroll, a great English poet and writer “Life is but a Dream” is a lyrical poem. The poem presents the speaker’s memory of an incident of children enjoying a rowing boat. It also highlights how this leads him to learn life’s greatest lesson. The poem gained immense popularity at that time because of its unique structure and paradoxical statements.
• “Life is but a Dream” As a Representative of Life: This poem revolves around the importance of life. It begins when the speaker sees a boat in July. The boat is floating down the river swiftly in slow motion. The speaker seems to have a great time with the children, eager to listen to them talk about the boat. The poem’s tone remains happy and joyous at the start, but it changes in the third stanza, where the speaker notices the fading objects around him. He says that July has lost its charm. Also, the echo of his sound that entertains the children has faded away. Unfortunately, autumn has killed July with its spear. Although every attractive object has lost its charm, the children’s memories cast a lasting impact on his mind. Especially the memory of the little girl, Alice, whom he compares to a phantom. In the last three stanzas, he explains although things in the world change rapidly, the bounties he captured in his writing will remain forever green. His readers will keep dreaming of Alice in wonderland. Furthermore, during their summer holidays, they shall remember the magical creatures that have been chanted in Carroll’s books. In the final lines, he compares life to a stream’s flow. Unlike stream, we pass through life without owing it.
• Major Themes in “Life is but a Dream”: The poem’s major themes are the transience of life, happiness, and memories. The poem accounts for the speaker’s ideas about constantly changing time versus the power of writing. On the one hand, it shows how every object in the world passes through phases and eventually loses its charm. On the other hand, things remain stuck in time in books. Initially, the speaker is seen having fun with little children. His primary focus is to entertain them with his mesmerizing stories. But as soon as he realizes that life never runs on the same path, everything around him becomes less attractive. He feels that the weather has also changed the environment around them. However, he feels excited when he thinks about his lasting work. He claims that children will adore his literary efforts even after his demise.

Analysis of Literary Devises Used in Life is but a Dream

literary devices are used to make simple poems a treat to read. The logical use of these devices makes them deep, unique, and understandable. Lewis Carroll also used many literary devices in the poem. The analysis is as follows.

1. Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “Echoes fade and memories die” and the sound of /i/ in “Alice moving under skies.”
2. Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /g/ in “Lingering in the golden gleam” and the sound of /s/ in “Still she haunts me,.”
3. Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. Carroll has repeated the words “Dreaming” in the second last stanza of the poem to emphasize the point such as;

“In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die;”

4. Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /s/ in “Still she haunts me, phantomwise” and the sound of /t/ in “Ever drifting down the stream.”
5. Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,

“A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July
Children three that nestle near,”

6. Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Lewis Carroll used imagery in this poem, such as; “A boat, beneath a sunny sky”, “Eager eye and willing ear,” and “Still she haunts me, phantomwise.”
7. Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poem uses lies as an extended metaphor to talk about their fragility.
8. Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a question that is not asked in order to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear. Lewis Carroll poses rhetorical questions at the end of the poem to emphasize his point, such as “Life, what is it but a dream?”
9. Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem uses symbols such as love, happiness, memories, and loss.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Life is but a Dream

Poetic devices are used to give flow to simple poetic pieces. Lewis Carroll used some poetic devices in the poem, whose analysis is as follows.

1. End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. For example, “ear/near”, “lie/die” and “gleam/dream.”
2. Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are seven stanzas in this poem, with each comprised of three lines.
3. Tercet: A tercet is a three-lined stanza borrowed from Biblical Hebrew poetry. Here, each stanza is tercet.

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful for speeches or sermons to talk about time and life.

“Ever drifting down the stream
Lingering in the golden gleam
Life, what is it but a dream?”