My Dream by John Greenleaf Whittier

The poem describes a dream where the speaker's deceased loved one appears to them, and they are reunited in a beautiful landscape. The speaker is overjoyed to be with their loved one again, but also aware that this reunion is only temporary, as they will eventually have to return to reality. The poem explores themes of love, loss, and the afterlife.

By John Greenleaf Whittier · First published 1860 · Genre: Poetry, Spiritual, Philosophical · 511 words

First lines

In my dream, methought I trod, Yesternight, a mountain road; Narrow as Al Sirat's span, High as eagle's flight, it ran.

Overhead, a roof of cloud With its weight of thunder bowed; Underneath, to left and right, Blankness and abysmal night.

• Open reader

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Genres

• Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing meter and rhyme, characteristic of poetic form.
• Spiritual — Themes of faith, hope, and the afterlife are central, reflecting a spiritual journey.
• Philosophical — Explores existential themes such as life, death, and the human condition.
• Romanticism — Emphasizes emotion, nature, and individual experience, typical of the Romantic literary movement.

Tags

Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Romanticism · Nature · Dreams · Imagination · Symbolism · Allegory · Mythology · Folklore · Spirituality

What this Textopian page supports

My Dream is listed on Textopian as a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, dated 1860 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Poem
• Author: John Greenleaf Whittier
• Date: 1860 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Poetry, Spiritual, Philosophical, Romanticism, Allegory
• Length: 511 words
• Structure: 1 section, 19 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for My Dream by John Greenleaf Whittier
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

More by John Greenleaf Whittier

• The Haunted House (1859)
• Yankee Gypsies (1853)
• The Boy Captives (1835)
• The Vaudois Teacher (1835)
• The Female Martyr (1828)
• Extract from "a New England Legend. " (1838)
• The Demon of the Study (1853)
• The Fountain (1857)
• All works by John Greenleaf Whittier