A Dream Song by George MacDonald
The novel A Dream Song by George MacDonald tells the story of a young man named Alister who dreams of becoming a great musician. He travels to London and meets a mysterious woman named Lily, who helps him achieve his goal. However, as he becomes more successful, he begins to lose touch with reality and falls into a deep depression. With the help of Lily and other friends, Alister eventually finds his way back to himself and learns to appreciate life again.
By George MacDonald · First published 1864 · Genre: Poetry, Mystical, Fantasy · 248 words
First lines
I dreamed of a song -- I heard it sung; / In the ear of my soul its strange notes rung. / What were its words I could not tell, / Only the voice I heard right well, / For its tones unearthly my spirit bound / In a calm delirium of mystic sound -- / Held me floating, alone and high, / Placeless and silent, drinking my fill / Of dews that from cloudless skies distil / On desert places that thirst and sigh. / 'Twas a woman's voice, deep calling to deep, / Rousing old echoes that all day sleep / In cavern and solitude, each apart, / Here and there in the waiting heart; -- / A voice with a wild melodious cry / Reaching and longing afar and high. / Sorrowful triumph, and hopeful strife, / Gainful death, and new-born life, / Thrilled in each note of the prophet-song. / In my heart it said: O Lord, how long / Shall we groan and travail and faint and pray, / Ere thy lovely kingdom bring the day!
What this Textopian page supports
A Dream Song is listed on Textopian as a poem by George MacDonald, dated 1864 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: George MacDonald
- Date: 1864 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Mystical, Fantasy, Religious, Philosophical
- Length: 248 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for A Dream Song by George MacDonald
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is structured in verse form with a focus on rhythm and sound, characteristic of poetry.
- Mystical — The themes of unearthly sounds and spiritual experiences suggest a mystical genre.
- Fantasy — The dream-like quality and surreal imagery align with elements of fantasy.
- Religious — References to spiritual longing and divine themes indicate a religious genre.
Tags
dream · poetry · imagination · fantasy · spirituality · nature · childhood · whimsy · metaphor · self-discovery · wonder · mysticism