The Deepest Dream
Mark Van Doren 1894 (Vermilion County) – 1972 (Torrington)
The deepest dream is of mad governors,
Down, down we feel it, till the very crust
Of the world cracks, and where there was no dust,
Atoms of ruin rise. Confusion stirs,
And fear; and all our thoughts--dark scavengers--
Feed on the center's refuse. Hope is thrust
Like wind away, and love sinks into lust
For merest safety, meanest of levelers.
And then we wake. Or do we? Sleep endures
More than the morning can, when shadows lie
Sharper than mountains, and the cleft is real
Between us and our kings. What sun assures
Our courage, and what evening by and by
Descends to rest us, and perhaps to heal?
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 33 sec read
- 42 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBAABBA CDECDE |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 608 |
Words | 112 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 6 |
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"The Deepest Dream" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/26556/the-deepest-dream>.
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