Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar.
Like a dog, he hunts in dreams.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the idea of pursuing one's desires or aspirations, similar to how a dog hunts instinctively.
In this metaphorical expression by Alfred Lord Tennyson, the act of dreaming is compared to a dog that hunts in its sleep, suggesting that just as a dog is driven by strong instincts to chase after its dreams, so too do humans possess an inherent yearning to pursue their goals and ambitions, often guided by subconscious desires. It emphasizes the importance of dreams and aspirations in driving our actions and behaviors, highlighting a deep connection between our instincts and our pursuits in life.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about the power of dreams and aspirations.
More from Alfred Lord Tennyson
All quotes →How many a father have I seen, A sober man, among his boys, Whose youth was full of foolish noise.
O Love! what hours were thine and mine, In lands of palm and southern pine; In lands of palm, of orange-blossom, Of olive, aloe, and maize and vine!
Earth is dry to the centre,_x000D_ But spring, a new comer,_x000D_ A spring rich and strange,_x000D_ Shall make the winds blow_x000D_ Round and round,_x000D_ Thro' and thro',_x000D_ Here and there,_x000D_ Till the air_x000D_ And the ground_x000D_ Shall be fill'd with life anew.
O love, O fire! once he drew With one long kiss my whole soul through My lips, as sunlight drinketh dew.
But thy strong Hours indignant work’d their wills, And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me, And tho’ they could not end me, left me maim’d To dwell in presence of immortal youth, Immortal age beside immortal youth, And all I was, in ashes. - Tithonus
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