Dante Remy
In the realm of dreams, where reality dissolves into a tapestry of the subconscious, we find ourselves entangled in a delicate dance with our deepest desires and fears. It is a world where the boundaries between the tangible and the intangible blur, and we are left to navigate the landscapes of our own minds. But what lies behind these dreams, and why do others, like elusive specters, infiltrate these nocturnal realms? Enter Christina Rossetti, a poet who beckons us to explore the enigmatic terrain of dreams through the verses of her sonnet, “I Dream of You to Wake.”
I Dream of You To Wake by Christina Rossetti
I dream of you, to wake: would that I might Dream of you and not wake but slumber on; Nor find with dreams the dear companion gone, As, Summer ended, Summer birds take flight.
In happy dreams I hold you full in night. I blush again who waking look so wan; Brighter than sunniest day that ever shone, In happy dreams your smile makes day of night.
Thus only in a dream we are at one, Thus only in a dream we give and take The faith that maketh rich who take or give; If thus to sleep is sweeter than to wake, To die were surely sweeter than to live, Though there be nothing new beneath the sun.
Before delving into the intricacies of her poetry, it is imperative to unravel the threads of Rossetti’s life, woven into the very fabric of her verses. Her existence, marked by profound loss and unrequited love, serves as the crucible from which her poetic alchemy emerges.
As we traverse the landscape of Rossetti’s sonnet, we encounter echoes of ancient psalms, specifically the Song of Songs—an ode to love and spirituality within the biblical tapestry. Both Rossetti’s sonnets and the Psalms resonate with themes of love, devotion, and spirituality, forming a harmonious symphony of emotions. Through the lens of rich and evocative language, both works become vessels that transport us to realms where the ethereal intertwines with the earthly.
The imagery of gardens and flowers, meticulously tended in the gardens of poetic expression, becomes a shared motif between Rossetti’s sonnets and the biblical Psalms. Here, the petals of blossoms unfold to reveal the fragility of love and the beauty that emanates from its ephemeral nature. These shared symbols, whether in the context of Rossetti or the ancient Psalms, serve as a universal language that transcends temporal and cultural boundaries.
Yet, beneath the tapestry of shared symbolism lies a deeply personal narrative—a reflection of Rossetti’s own life experiences. Her poems emerge from the crucible of loss, with the specter of her mother’s early departure, the untimely demise of siblings, and unrequited loves casting shadows across the verses. Rossetti’s Christian faith, an unwavering anchor in the storm of her existence, manifests in the thematic fabric of her sonnets, resonating with biblical echoes.
“I Dream of You to Wake” unfolds as a poignant expression of longing and loss. The speaker, immersed in the ephemeral embrace of dreams, seeks solace in the illusion of a love that eludes her in waking life. The imagery of summer birds taking flight in happy dreams and the radiant smile that transforms night into day weaves a tapestry of beauty against the backdrop of sorrow.
In Rossetti’s dreamscape, the beloved becomes a summer bird—a metaphor for the soul’s flight to heaven. The faith that “maketh rich” suggests a divine connection, where love is perceived as a gift from a higher realm. The interplay of giving and taking within the dream realm mirrors the complex dynamics of human relationships, where the boundaries between self and other blur in the dance of reciprocity.
The bittersweet conclusion of the sonnet contemplates the sweetness of sleep over the harshness of wakefulness. The contemplation of death as a sweeter alternative underscores the profound yearning for a reality where the ephemeral dreamscape and the tangible world intersect. In this melancholic reverie, Rossetti invites us to ponder the intricate dance between the tangible and the intangible, between dreams and wakefulness.
As we peer into the depths of Rossetti’s sonnet, the question arises: Do our dreams serve as mirrors, reflecting our innermost desires and conflicts, or are they portals to a collective consciousness, where archetypes and symbols intertwine to shape our understanding of the world? Enter the realms of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, whose theories cast shadows on the canvas of dream analysis.
Freud, delving into the recesses of the personal subconscious, posits that dreams are the playground of repressed desires and unresolved conflicts. The individuals who populate our dreams become vessels for the projection of our innermost struggles. In the labyrinth of the psyche, dreams serve as a stage where the drama of our desires unfolds.
Contrastingly, Jung peers beyond the individual psyche, delving into the collective unconscious—a reservoir of shared symbols and archetypes that unite humanity. In this cosmic dreamscape, the people who populate our dreams transcend the personal, embodying universal archetypes that echo across cultures and epochs. The lover in Rossetti’s sonnet, therefore, becomes an embodiment of the collective archetype of love—an exploration of the universal longing for connection.
As we traverse the corridors of Rossetti’s dreamscape, the dichotomy between the personal and the universal emerges. The lover, whether a singular entity or a symbol of love itself, becomes a conduit for the exploration of the human condition. In the throes of longing and loss, Rossetti’s verses resonate with a timeless quality—a reflection of the eternal dance between the tangible and the intangible, the personal and the universal.
So, what do our dreams reveal about us? Do they serve as mirrors reflecting the recesses of our individual psyches, or are they windows opening to the collective consciousness that unites us all? In the ebb and flow of dreams, we find solace, exploration, and the unraveling of mysteries that transcend the boundaries of waking life.
Rossetti’s “I Dream of You to Wake” beckons us to linger in the liminal space between dreams and wakefulness, where the ephemeral nature of love and the profound yearning for connection find expression. As we navigate the contours of our own dreams, let us ponder the whispers of our subconscious and the echoes of a collective unconscious that binds us all in the shared tapestry of human experience.
In the tapestry of dreams, where the threads of the personal and the universal intertwine, let us continue to explore the enigmatic landscapes that unfold beneath closed eyelids. For in the dance of dreams, we discover the profound truths that shape our understanding of self, other, and the timeless mysteries that linger in the spaces between wakefulness and slumber.
©️ 2023 Dante Remy
Comments