Dreamland

This podcast to takes a deeper dive into some of Poe’s so-called Dream Works - or your works that dealt with the experience of dreaming. This episode will revisit A Dream With a Dream (perhaps the work most associated with the movie Inception.).  But the majority of the episode will introduce the concept of Ultima Thule, as well as Poe’s metaphysical masterpiece - Eureka.  

Transcript

Edgar Allan Poe (Mr. Poe) - bold text
George - plain text

Welcome to Celebrate Poe - this is episode 241 - Dreamland 1

For an episode or two - before we completely leave Inception - for now - I would like to taken an even deeper dive into some more of Mr. Poe’s Dream Works

GHOST SOUND

Well, Hello Mr. Poe.

Greetings, Mr. Bartley.

Certainly, Mr. Batley.

A dream within a dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow —
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand —
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep — while I weep!
O God! Can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

I never tire of that poem.

Thank you, Mr. Bartley.  Now I also have another poem simply called Dreams where I deal into the concept of dreams as a source of solace in the face of life’s challenges I tried to use symbolism in the poem to convey the idea of the dreams of a respite from the harsh realities of adulthood - portraying them as a sanctuary where one may find comfort and escape from the difficulties of life.

Yes, Mr. Poe and I think it's interesting that you showcase your fascination with dreams as a means of exploring deeper truths, emotions, and existential questions - that dreams are not just isolated imaginings that happen at night and are then forgotten.

Ah, Mr. Bartley, through my poetic exploration of dreams, I like to think that I effectively delve into themes of longing, escapism, and the enigmatic nature of the human psyche - inviting readers to ponder the significance of dreams in shaping our perceptions and experiences.

Yes, Mr. Poe - I know that was also a poem about dreams that you wrote called Dream-Land.   It has that wonderful line “Out of Space - Out of Time” - I remember that in the 1960s - back in my college days - you could ask someone how was there weekend - and if they said ‘Oh, Man - it was out of space - out of time” - you know that had an enjoyable experience - possibly using some illegal substance.  I had no idea that they were quoting Poe.

Yes, that line WAS from my poem Dream-Land - first published in 1844 in Graham's Magazine.  You might say that "Dream-Land" also explores my fascination with the realms of dreams, imagination, and the supernatural.
I believe the first stanza of the poem contrasts the ideal world of dreams with the harsh realities of the physical world.  And the poem begins with the narrator awakening from a sublime dream state and losing touch with the sense of the ideal. He then describes the bizarre, nightmarish landscape of "Dream-Land" which represents the everyday physical world of chaos and disharmony.
This "Dream-Land" defies natural laws with boundless floods, toppling mountains, and surging seas touching fiery skies.

Mr. Poe - would you favor us with the first stanza of Dream-land?

Certainly, Mr. Bartley.

By a route obscure and lonely,   
Haunted by ill angels only,
Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,   
On a black throne reigns upright,
I have reached these lands but newly   
From an ultimate dim Thule—
From a wild weird clime that lieth, sublime,
       Out of SPACE—Out of TIME.

Some very strong images there, Mr. Poe.  Could you comment on that stanza, Mr. Poe?

Certainly, Mr. Bartley.

My intentions were for the first stanza of "Dream-Land" to establish a mysterious, otherworldly setting for the poem. The speaker describes traveling to this dreamlike realm "by a route obscure and lonely", suggesting a journey through unfamiliar and potentially perilous territory.  The landscape is "haunted by ill angels only", evoking a sense of unease and the presence of supernatural, potentially malevolent forces. 

And what did you mean by this Eidolon?

Oh, I tried to reinforce this sense of unease through the personification of "an Eidolon, named NIGHT" who "reigns upright / On a black throne", conjuring an ominous, foreboding image.

I see now, Mr. Poe. The speaker emphasizes the remoteness and isolation of this "wild weird clime", describing it as coming from "an ultimate dim Thule" and existing "Out of SPACE—Out of TIME".

And Ultima Thule is Latin meaning “extreme limits of travel and discovery.

I never knew that.

Now I intended for the poem to create a strong sense of a setting as existing outside the normal bounds of the physical world, in a realm of pure imagination and dreams.  And my use of vivid, evocative language - "ill angels", "black throne", "wild weird clime" - along with the personification of "Night" and the references to the otherworldly location, all work together to establish an atmosphere of mystery, darkness, and the supernatural.

Mr. Poe, what is the significance of the eidolon named night in the first stanza.

You mean, the eidolon named Night?

Yes.

Oh, Mr. Bartley - "Eidolon, named NIGHT" is a personified, supernatural entity that "reigns upright / On a black throne" over the dreamlike landscape of the poem.   And This eidolon, or phantom, is described as a dark, foreboding presence that presides over the "obscure and lonely" realm the speaker has entered.  Furthermore, the personification of Night as an enthroned, upright figure suggests a powerful, almost ominous authority over this dreamworld. So the introduction of this eidolon in the first stanza sets an atmosphere of mystery, and a sense of being outside normal space and time.

Far out!

Pardon me.

Oh, nothing.

The eidolon's rule over this "wild weird clime" that is "Out of SPACE—Out of TIME" establishes the poem's fantastical, otherworldly setting.
Overall, the eidolon named Night is a central, symbolic figure in the first stanza that helps define the dark, dreamlike nature of the landscape the speaker has entered. Its presence and authority over this realm are crucial to establishing the poem's mysterious, supernatural tone and themes.

Again, all I can say is far out!

Mr. Bartley, sometimes you totally confuse me.

Please, Mr Poe.  Pay me no mind.  Would you favor us with the second stanza - and I must say here that some sources say that you wrote a 5 stanza version as well - a finding that this podcast will look into for a later episode.

Certainly. 

Bottomless vales and boundless floods,   
And chasms, and caves, and Titan woods,   
With forms that no man can discover   
For the tears that drip all over;   
Mountains toppling evermore   
Into seas without a shore;   
Seas that restlessly aspire,   
Surging, unto skies of fire;   
Lakes that endlessly outspread   
Their lone waters—lone and dead,—   
Their still waters—still and chilly   
With the snows of the lolling lily.

Now, Mr. Bartley, before you ask - The second stanza of "Dream-Land" continues to build upon the mysterious, otherworldly setting established in the first stanza, further immersing the reader in the fantastical landscape of the poem.  The stanza opens with a series of vivid, evocative descriptions of the dreamscape - "Bottomless vales and boundless floods, / And chasms, and caves, and Titan woods" - creating a sense of vastness, depth, and the sublime. The use of words like "bottomless", "boundless", and "Titan" convey a scale and grandeur that transcends the normal bounds of the physical world. I then introduce a haunting, melancholic element, describing "forms that no man can discover / For the tears that drip all over".

Mr. Poe - This suggests a presence of mysterious, indistinct entities within the landscape, shrouded in an aura of sorrow and grief.

Mr. Bartley - sometimes your comments remind me of how astute you are - sometimes your words display your utter stupidity.

The stanza goes on to depict a landscape in constant flux and turmoil - "Mountains toppling evermore / Into seas without a shore; / Seas that restlessly aspire, / Surging, unto skies of fire". This dynamic, almost violent imagery creates a sense of instability and the erosion of boundaries, further enhancing the dreamlike, disorienting quality of the setting. The final lines of the stanza shift the focus to the "Lakes that endlessly outspread / Their lone waters—lone and dead, - / Their still waters—still and chilly / With the snows of the lolling lily".

Mr. Poe, I believe that the second stanza of this version of "Dream-Land" continues to build a vivid, fantastical landscape that blurs the lines between the real and the imaginary, the living and the dead, and the sublime and the horrific. Your use of evocative, imaginative language and vivid sensory details creates a powerful, immersive dreamworld that reflects the poem's central themes of the nature of reality and the power of the human mind.

Mr. Bartley - you frequently amaze me.

Mr. Poe - I know that many of your works dealing with dreams are somewhat predictive of your work in Eureka - now I want to emphasize that Eureka is an incredibly complex work that is going to require several episodes - Eureka is an essay that was written in the aftermath of Poe's personal tragedy, the death of his wife Virginia, and reflects your desire to reconcile the best and worst aspects of human experience through a sweeping cosmological vision.

That is a fair assessment. In “Eureka", I drew on my scientific knowledge and speculated on the origins and destiny of the universe, anticipating concepts like the Big Bang theory and the interconnectedness of all matter. However, the work is not a rigorous scientific treatise, but rather a poetic, philosophical exploration of the nature of reality, God, and the human condition.

Mr. Poe - may I interject that the essay has been described by many critics as both too scientific for literature and too literary for science, defying easy categorization.  I know that your contemporaries were often baffled by the work, with one scientist dismissing it as merely "Poe's latest satire on science."

Ah, Mr. Bartley, but today, "Eureka" is recognized as a remarkable, if flawed, attempt to grapple with the most profound questions of existence. It reflects my poetic sensibilities and his desire to find meaning and beauty in the cosmos, even in the face of personal tragedy and the limitations of human knowledge.

Mr. Poe, how would you say that eureka relates to your other works

Mr. Bartley, I believe that "Eureka" reflects many of the same themes and preoccupations found in my earlier poetry and fiction, such as the nature of reality, the blurred boundaries between dreams and waking life, and the search for meaning and order in a seemingly chaotic universe.
And despite being a prose work, "Eureka" is described as having a "poetic" quality and being an "abstract poem" that reflects my literary artistry and imagination.  Now one must remember that Eureka reflects my desire to reconcile the best and worst aspects of human experience. I understand how "Eureka" defies easy categorization, blending scientific, philosophical, and literary elements.  In summary, I believe that "Eureka" can be seen as a culmination and synthesis of many of the themes, styles, and preoccupations that run throughout my diverse creative output.

Finally Mr. Poe - and this will have to be our final topic for today - how would you compare Eureka to the movie Inception?

Ah, Mr. Bartley, there are definitely a few key ways one may compare my work "Eureka" to the movie “Inception.” At their most fundamental level,
both "Eureka" and "Inception" grapple with the blurred boundaries between reality versus dreams and imagination."Eureka" reflects my philosophical and poetic exploration of the nature of the physical and spiritual universe, challenging the boundaries between what is "real" and what is a "dream" - a concern fundamental to Inception with its manipulation and interplay of dreams, reality, and the subconscious mind.

And I must point out that both "Eureka" and "Inception" seem to have received mixed, often perplexed reactions from critics and audiences. "Eureka" has been viewed as "extremely dull reading" by some, while others considered it "a brilliant and sincere work of genius." Similarly, "Inception" has been praised for its complexity and ambiguity, while also being criticized as overly convoluted.

And Underlying both "Eureka" and "Inception" is a shared interest in exploring the human experience, whether it be my desire to "reconcile the best and worst aspects of human experience" or the movie's examination of the nature of consciousness, identity, and the subconscious.

In summary, while "Eureka" and "Inception" differ in their specific mediums and time periods, they share a common fascination with the nature of reality, the power of the imagination, and the fundamental questions of human existence. Both works challenge conventional boundaries and invite the audience to engage in a profound, often unsettling exploration of the mysteries of the mind and the cosmos.

Thank you very much, Mr. Poe - I am especially blown away by your comparison of Eureka and Inception - your words are “out of space - out of time.”

Farewell, Mr. Bartley

Goodbye, Mr. Poe.

Join us for the following episode where this podcast continues a look into Poe's dream poems and some events surrounding the fascinating Ultima Thule.

Sources include: The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, by Edgar Allan 
Poe, Inception directed by Christopher Nolan, Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography, A Documentary Life of Edgar Allan Poe, The Nolan Varieties, and The Reason for the Darkness of the Night by John Tresch.

Thank you for listening to Celebrate Poe.