Analysis of The Land of Dreams

William Blake 1757 (Soho) – 1827 (London)



Awake, awake, my little boy!
Thou wast thy mother's only joy;
Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?
Awake! thy father does thee keep.

'O, what land is the Land of Dreams?
What are its mountains, and what are its streams?
O father! I saw my mother there,
Among the lilies by waters fair.

'Among the lambs, cloth?d in white,
She walk'd with her Thomas in sweet delight.
I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn;
O! when shall I again return?'

Dear child, I also by pleasant streams
Have wander'd all night in the Land of Dreams;
But tho' calm and warm the waters wide,
I could not get to the other side.

'Father, O father! what do we here
In this land of unbelief and fear?
The Land of Dreams is better far
Above the light of the morning star.'


Scheme AABB CCDD EEXX CCFF XXGG
Poetic Form Quatrain  (60%)
Etheree  (25%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 01011101 11110101 111101101 01110111 11110111 1111001111 110111101 010101101 0101101 1110100101 111110111 11110101 111101101 1101100111 111010101 111110101 101101111 0111101 01111101 010110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 728
Words 149
Sentences 17
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 111
Words per stanza (avg) 29
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 30, 2023

45 sec read
565

William Blake

William Blake was an English poet, painter and printmaker. more…

All William Blake poems | William Blake Books

27 fans

Discuss this William Blake poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Land of Dreams" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/39178/the-land-of-dreams>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    0
    hours
    59
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Which poet is known for writing "Ode to a Nightingale"?
    A Samuel Taylor Coleridge
    B Percy Bysshe Shelley
    C William Wordsworth
    D John Keats