Edgar Allen Poe is one of the more famous poets known for his dark, mysterious poems. Poe had a different view on the world than most people, almost similar to that of Emily Dickinson. His poems often have a deeper meaning hidden behind the dark scenes. Poe's poem "A Dream within a Dream" contains two stanzas each describing a certain experience. Each is very different both in content and in the way it is presented, but the same question is being asked. The meaning of the poem "A Dream within a Dream" is that everything in life is so fleeting and fragile, it is even more distant than a dream. Poe had suffered a large amount of loss in his life. His mother died when he was very young, shortly after his father had abandoned them. He married his 13-year-old cousin later in his life, but she later died from tuberculosis. Poe wrote this poem shortly after her death and less than a year before his own. .
The first line, "Take this kiss upon the brow!" shows us how much Poe cares for this person. A kiss on the forehead is a well-known sign of adoration, but we are not able to tell if his love is romantic love or not. He is most likely referring to his young wife, Virginia, who had recently passed away. In the next two lines, "And in parting from you now/ Thus much let me avow" he is preparing to tell this person something. He wishes to confess something before they part. This is common when two people part ways, or after a loved one dies. Especially in the case of Poe, what he is about to say may not be received well, so he waited until they were just about to part. He begins with, "You are not wrong, who deem/ That my days have been a dream." With this he is saying that he feels as though he is living a dream; his is the first time there is a reference to the title of the poem. Poe seems to be saying that he feels so distant with reality that he is questioning if it is real.
