Opinion on “Imitation” (1827) and related work
- Remake: “A Dream Within a Dream” (1849)
“Imitation” (1827
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Edgar Allan Poe (writer).
Read in 2022.
‣ “A Dream Within a Dream” (1849)
Edgar Allan Poe (writer).
Read in 2022.
The sentiment is almost unique in Poe. There is a trace of it in “For Annie” (1849), but here it’s crystal clear, written with life experience that was missing from “A Dream” (1827). His characters tend to find comfort in Christian visions, if at all, but this one is not Christian. The motif of a dream within a dream is an old standby in Buddhist poetry. You see it, for example, in Chikamatsu’s The Love Suicides at Sonezaki (1703), spoken by the narrator (「夢の夢こそ哀れなれ。」).
References here: Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975).