The Harlequin Of Dreams

Read 'The Harlequin Of Dreams' by 'Sidney Lanier' and provide your summary and literary analysis in the comments section below.

The Harlequin Of Dreams by Sidney Lanier

 Swift, through some trap mine eyes have never found,
Dim-panelled in the painted scene of Sleep,
Thou, giant Harlequin of Dreams, dost leap
Upon my spirit's stage. Then Sight and Sound,
Then Space and Time, then Language, Mete and Bound,
And all familiar Forms that firmly keep
Man's reason in the road, change faces, peep
Betwixt the legs and mock the daily round.
Yet thou canst more than mock: sometimes my tears
At midnight break through bounden lids -- a sign
Thou hast a heart: and oft thy little leaven
Of dream-taught wisdom works me bettered years.
In one night witch, saint, trickster, fool divine,
I think thou'rt Jester at the Court of Heaven!

Form: Italian Sonnet Comments

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bennett Avatar
September 14, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Hi! Your poetry immediately gave me the idea of a continuous visual interpretation. Instead of creating one image for the whole poem, I’d love to follow it stanza by stanza and let each section develop into its own continuation. I’m a ommission artist who specializes in bringing written concepts into visual form, and I’d love to create something where the visuals move forward with your writing and reflect the changing emotions, imagery, and atmosphere throughout the poem. If you’re interested in exploring something like that, I’d love to connect. Discord: eve_verse Email: [email protected]
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