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Two Ppoems of Edgar Allan Poe
A Dream Wwithin a Dream
In reading the first poem, A Dream within a Dream, the impression created is that there are
exist differences in the way people perceive life and the effects of life. In the second stanza,
Poe writes about how golden grains of the sand are slipping between his fingers. This gives an
impression of the hour glass that givesprovides reference to the passage of time (Hoffman 21).
The trickling of the sand between his fingers also illustrates human life slipping away, and
there is nothing anybody can do to stop time from taking its course. In other words, our
existence is insubstantial and simply an abstraction of the mind. Additionally, the line "grains
of the golden sand," refers to the fact that mans desire for love is golden, but love is cannot
be permanently attained. As we live our lives, we should remember that life is vague and as
such, our existence is fleeting. It does not matter how short of long one lives his/her life
because with each passing day our lives are like the golden sand slipping through no matter
how tight we grasp at it. In the end, our lives are over, and the aspirations, dreams, and
achievements all fade into oblivion and become nothing more than memories.
Personally, this holds true with life as over the years I have procrastinated with issues
and failed to achieve some that were pertinent. However, time does not wait for no one and as
Poe writes in the first two lines of the second stanza I stand amid the roar, of a surf
tormented shore, time has managed to pound away whatever little hope I had of
accomplishing my aspirations. The consequence of my procrastination tendencies is that I
have been unable to accomplish some of my goals but as is with life, there are obstacles to
achieving my life goals. These obstacles are the waves that Poe mentions in the poem.
At the end of the first stanza, Poe says, All that we see or seem, Is but a dream within
a dream. These two lines create the impression that all we all want the best things in life but
this is not possible (Sova 54). The fact of the matter is that life is a roller coaster with ups and

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downs. As such, whenever we are asleep and dream of the most beautiful of dreams we do not
want to wake up because the at moment we wake up, this beautiful experience is lost forever.
This is the same with life because although we are fully awake we still dream big. On a
personal level, holding on to dreams has cost me opportunities since I let small but inherently
fulfilling opportunities pass me as I tried to hold on tight to the possibility of making my
ultimate dream a reality. By grasping at my dream tightly, I have let opportunities pass me by
like the grains of the sand, and this has been a great lesson for me. In general, the poem
focuses on the passing of time, opportunities and dreams as they are perceived through a
reflection of one's journey towards the end of life. In the end, the lives we live will be nothing
more than dreams, ephemeral and futile (Hoffman 101).
Israfel
Israfel is unlike other Poes poems as it is bright, vivid and high-spirited. The poem creates
the impression of creativity, especially in singing or making music; they should be considered
divine. This is the only way creators can makecreate content that will make their audiences
enjoy the work they have created in silence and awe (Hoffman 73). This is evident from the
last stanza where Poe asks whether he could make a more beautiful son than Israfel had he
dwelt in heaven like Israfel did. Poe goes on to answer himself in the eighth stanza by saying
that if Israfel was bound to earth and he is in heaven then he would out-sing him (Peeples 36).
This part is very similar to few of my personal experiences. I have always thought that the
privileged in the society get opportunities easily than the underprivileged. As a result, I
always try and think of how I would change certain decisions people in power made. I always
feel that given the opportunity, I can do a better job than what the current crops of leaders are
doing.
In the first stanza, Poe writes None sing so wild so well, as the angel Israfel
and the giddy stars are mute. The interpretation of these three lines is that the poet himself is
far more creative than other poets of his generation. Consequently, other poets (stars) are
mesmerized by his poem to the extent that they stop their work to listen in silence and awe at

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Poe singing (poetry) (Peeples 61). This is what I try as much as possible to apply in my life as
I believe the only way to remain achieve anything in life is to be the best in whatever field one
practices. Personally, I want to accomplish a lot in my life and career, and I can only achieve
this if I out do my peers in all my undertakings. There is nothing satisfying than getting
approval and acknowledgement from the best creators in my field. It is in my life goals to
leave a legacy in my field to the extent that current and future peers will look at my
achievements and acknowledge that I am the best in my generation. This is exactly what Poe
means in the first stanza.
The line "Whose heart-strings are a lute" simply creates the impression that creativity
must be genuine and come from the innermost emotions (Kennedy 71). This is the reason Poe
refers to Israel's emotions as music. This part relates to my life in the sense that in all my
undertakings, I strive to be genuine. Showing genuine emotion is what one is doing will
enable people to genuinely appreciate other people's efforts.

Works Ccited
Hoffman, Daniel. Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University
Press, 1998. Web.
Kennedy, J. Gerald. A Historical Guide to Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Oxford University
Press, 2001.Web.
Sova, Dawn B. Edgar Allan Poe, A to Z. New York: Facts On File, 2001.Web.
Peeples, Scott. Edgar Allan Poe Revisited. New York: Twayne, 1998.Web.

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Dear Joan,
Many thanks for providing a paper of a good quality. Thank you for your diligence and
readiness to complete many orders.
However, please pay more attention to the following:
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Formatting mistakes. The title case should be used for the title of papers. The first-

level heading should be bolded, title case and flush left.

Words repetitions. Please try to substitute the repeated words with their synonyms.
Contractions. Please do not use the contractions in academic papers.

Your grade for the paper is College B (67).

Taking into account the number of mistakes found in the paper, the bid share for the order is
85%.
Best regards,
Linda