Poetry and Dreams
04/20/25 • 21 min
Welcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 362 - Poetry and Dreams
I was looking through articles about Poe to find information for a future article regarding why do so many people read Edgar Allan Poe. And I found some great stuff and certainly will be writing an episode or two about that subject. But I found an article that said that more Americans - almost 3/4 - are familiar with Edgar Poe - more than any other poet. Shakespeare is second.
Now this was the episode where I wanted to start some episodes on Bram Stoker - but it turns out there is a poetry workshop that is rather time sensitive, so I better get this out now.
You see, on Thursday, April 24 there will be a free workshop from the Academy of American Poets online at YouTube - no charge at all, tho I doubt they would turn down donations. All you need to do is register, and again, it is free. I have the URL on my Buzzsprout transcript and show notes - but in case you can’t remember URLS - I can’t - it is https//poets.org/gala/2025 - - again, it is free - all you need to do is register in advance. The readers include people such as Christine Baranski, Stephen King, Tony Kusher, Fran Lebowitz, and Lawrence O’Donnell - among others.
Just wanted to be sure that you got the info about what is called Poetry and the Creative Mind - again, to be held on Thursday, April 24.
By the way, Meryl Streep is extremely active in Poetry and the Creative Mind, and has read works by Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath, and Walt Whitman in programs across multiple years.
By the way, poets.org.gala.2025 will take you to the registration page as well.
For the rest of this episode, I would like to delve into several of Edgar Poe’s poems that deal with dreams. The three poems are Dreams, A Dream, and A Dream Within a Dream, and Dreamland - and boy, are they easy to mix up. So take them in order considering the number of words in the title - I know it sounds simplistic but stay with me because it makes things soooo much easier. And I am not going to include the poem Dreamland until the end of this podcast - It is (in my opinion, a poem that is in a class by yourself.)
Think 1, 2, and 5 - words that is -
The title of Dreams is just one word, the title of A Dream is two words, and the title of the shortest and most mature work - A Dream Within a Dream is 5 words. Dreams and A Dream were both published in 1827 and A Dream Within a Dream was published in 1849 - the year of Edgar Poe’s earthly demise.
Let me say that again - The title of Dreams is just one word, the title of A Dream is two words, and the title of the most mature work - A Dream Within a Dream is 5 words. Dreams and A Dream were both published in 1827 and A Dream Within a Dream was published in 1849.
Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Poe.
Welcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 362 - Poetry and Dreams
I was looking through articles about Poe to find information for a future article regarding why do so many people read Edgar Allan Poe. And I found some great stuff and certainly will be writing an episode or two about that subject. But I found an article that said that more Americans - almost 3/4 - are familiar with Edgar Poe - more than any other poet. Shakespeare is second.
Now this was the episode where I wanted to start some episodes on Bram Stoker - but it turns out there is a poetry workshop that is rather time sensitive, so I better get this out now.
You see, on Thursday, April 24 there will be a free workshop from the Academy of American Poets online at YouTube - no charge at all, tho I doubt they would turn down donations. All you need to do is register, and again, it is free. I have the URL on my Buzzsprout transcript and show notes - but in case you can’t remember URLS - I can’t - it is https//poets.org/gala/2025 - - again, it is free - all you need to do is register in advance. The readers include people such as Christine Baranski, Stephen King, Tony Kusher, Fran Lebowitz, and Lawrence O’Donnell - among others.
Just wanted to be sure that you got the info about what is called Poetry and the Creative Mind - again, to be held on Thursday, April 24.
By the way, Meryl Streep is extremely active in Poetry and the Creative Mind, and has read works by Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath, and Walt Whitman in programs across multiple years.
By the way, poets.org.gala.2025 will take you to the registration page as well.
For the rest of this episode, I would like to delve into several of Edgar Poe’s poems that deal with dreams. The three poems are Dreams, A Dream, and A Dream Within a Dream, and Dreamland - and boy, are they easy to mix up. So take them in order considering the number of words in the title - I know it sounds simplistic but stay with me because it makes things soooo much easier. And I am not going to include the poem Dreamland until the end of this podcast - It is (in my opinion, a poem that is in a class by yourself.)
Think 1, 2, and 5 - words that is -
The title of Dreams is just one word, the title of A Dream is two words, and the title of the shortest and most mature work - A Dream Within a Dream is 5 words. Dreams and A Dream were both published in 1827 and A Dream Within a Dream was published in 1849 - the year of Edgar Poe’s earthly demise.
Let me say that again - The title of Dreams is just one word, the title of A Dream is two words, and the title of the most mature work - A Dream Within a Dream is 5 words. Dreams and A Dream were both published in 1827 and A Dream Within a Dream was published in 1849.
Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Poe.
Previous Episode
Vampires and Religion
Welcome 361 Vampires and Religion
Now I was planning to do some Easter theme episodes on Celebrate Poe - yes there is a connection - and looked at the calendar - assuming that Easter took place in March or early April - but I was really surprised to find out that this year Easter takes place on April 20 - one of the latest possible dates for the holiday. Now this is where it really gets into the weeds - tThe timing of Easter is determined by a combination of astronomical and ecclesiastical rules, specifically tied to the lunar calendar and the spring equinox.
Apparently, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (March 21 in ecclesiastical calculations). This year, the spring equinox occurred on March 20, and the first full moon after that—the "Paschal Full Moon"—is on April 12-13. Since April 13 is a Sunday, Easter is pushed to the following Sunday, April 20 - got that?
The lunar cycle, which lasts approximately 29.5 days, can cause significant variation in Easter's date. The range for Easter is between March 22 and April 25, depending on when the Paschal Full Moon occurs relative to the equinox. In 2025, both the equinox and full moon align later than usual, making Easter nearly as late as it can be. So you have Maundy Thursday - the date when we celebrate The Last Supper on the preceding Thursday, and Christ’s crucifixion on Friday.
Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Poe.
Celebrate Poe - Poetry and Dreams
Transcript
Welcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 362 - Poetry and Dreams
I was looking through articles about Poe to find information for a future article regarding why do so many people read Edgar Allan Poe. And I found some great stuff and certainly will be writing an episode or two about that subject. But I found an article that said that more Americans - almost 3/4 - are familiar with Edgar Poe - more than any other poet. Shakespeare is second.
Now this was the episode where I wanted to st
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