The sentence that best describes the poem is "nothing in life is permanent." The poem reflects on the fleeting nature of dreams, time, and experiences, emphasizing the inevitable loss and the transient qualities of life.
Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow1 —
You are not wrong, who deem2
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
which sentence describes the poem
it is important to hold your dreams
our loved ones equally loved us
we cannot slow the passage of time
nothing in life is permanent
5 answers
which lines to the poem support it
Several lines from the poem support the idea that "nothing in life is permanent." Here are a few key excerpts:
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"Yet if hope has flown away / In a night, or in a day," - This suggests that hope can disappear suddenly and is not a lasting condition.
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"How few! yet how they creep / Through my fingers to the deep," - This imagery of the grains of sand slipping away emphasizes the loss and impermanence of moments and things we try to hold onto.
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"O God! can I not grasp / Them with a tighter clasp?" - This expresses the frustration of trying to hold onto something that inevitably slips away, highlighting the struggle against loss.
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"Is all that we see or seem / Is but a dream within a dream." - This line reflects the idea that our experiences and perceptions may not be as solid or enduring as they appear, reinforcing the theme of impermanence.
These lines capture the essence of life's transient nature, underscoring that everything we experience is fleeting.
what is the meaning of the word vison in line 8
In line 8 of the poem, the word "vision" refers to a mental image, thought, or experience that may be vivid or dream-like in nature. In the context of the poem, it signifies the transient ideas or hopes that one might envision or aspire to, which can also fade away, much like dreams. The line suggests that whether hope is lost in a tangible way (in a night or day) or in a more abstract sense (in a vision), it highlights the theme of ephemerality and the fleeting nature of our experiences and aspirations.