CHORUS OF DREAMS FROM THE GATE OF HORN. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This poem envisions the instant Pandora's box is opened, unleashing all the world's evils into the atmosphere.
The poem
Yes, the moment shall decide! It already hath decided; And the secret once confided To the keeping of the Titan Now is flying far and wide, Whispered, told on every side, To disquiet and to frighten. Fever of the heart and brain, Sorrow, pestilence, and pain, Moans of anguish, maniac laughter, All the evils that hereafter Shall afflict and vex mankind, All into the air have risen From the chambers of their prison; Only Hope remains behind.
This poem envisions the instant Pandora's box is opened, unleashing all the world's evils into the atmosphere. Every form of suffering — illness, anguish, insanity — bursts forth and permeates humanity. The solitary thing that remains, sealed away inside, is Hope.
Line-by-line
Yes, the moment shall decide! / It already hath decided;
And the secret once confided / To the keeping of the Titan
Now is flying far and wide, / Whispered, told on every side,
Fever of the heart and brain, / Sorrow, pestilence, and pain,
Moans of anguish, maniac laughter, / All the evils that hereafter
Shall afflict and vex mankind, / All into the air have risen
From the chambers of their prison; / Only Hope remains behind.
Tone & mood
The tone feels urgent and ominous, like a warning given just a moment too late. The first stanza has a frantic energy—short, sharp lines that resemble a door swinging open—while the second stanza shifts to a somber list of pain. It concludes softly, nearly sorrowfully, with that one word: *behind*. The overall impression is of an irreversible loss, with a hint of something unsettled lingering at the end.
Symbols & metaphors
- The Titan — Refers to the mythological figure, either Prometheus or Epimetheus, who held the vessel that contained the world's evils. This figure symbolizes humanity's tendency to take on risky responsibilities and highlights the fragility of that trust.
- The secret flying far and wide — Evil spreads like whispers and rumors, illustrating how suffering can be contagious and self-perpetuating. Once unleashed, it no longer relies on a source — it moves independently.
- The prison / chambers — The sealed vessel from the Pandora myth turns into a prison in this context, reshaping the evils as once-contained and orderly elements. The sight of empty chambers following the escape amplifies the sense of loss, making it feel immense and hollow.
- Hope remaining behind — In the Greek myth, Hope (Elpis) is the only thing that remains in the jar after everything else has escaped. This serves as both a comfort and an irony: Hope is what humanity needs the most, yet it is the very thing that remains locked away—or maybe it's preserved for a reason.
- Fever of the heart and brain — Fever here represents more than just a physical illness; it's an emotional and mental struggle. It indicates that the evils unleashed are not solely bodily diseases but also disturbances in feelings and thoughts — love-sickness, obsession, grief, madness.
Historical context
Longfellow included this poem in his dramatic work *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), which is a sprawling three-part piece he dedicated decades to crafting. This specific chorus references the myth of Pandora's box found in Hesiod's *Works and Days* (c. 700 BCE), where Pandora opens a jar that releases all the world's evils, leaving only Hope inside. The title's "Gate of Horn" refers to a classical concept: in Homer's *Odyssey* and Virgil's *Aeneid*, true dreams emerge from a gate of horn, while false dreams come from a gate of ivory. By calling these the "Chorus of Dreams from the Gate of Horn," Longfellow hints that what follows is genuine — a true depiction of how human suffering came into the world. This poem fits into the broader 19th-century tradition of reinterpreting classical myths to reflect universal human experiences.
FAQ
It recounts the moment in the myth of Pandora's box when all the evils of the world are let loose. The poem depicts these evils soaring out and spreading among humanity, leaving only Hope trapped inside the container.
In ancient Greek and Roman literature — Homer's *Odyssey* and Virgil's *Aeneid* — dreams pass through two gates. True dreams emerge from a gate of horn, while false or deceptive dreams come through a gate of ivory. Longfellow's title indicates that these are genuine visions, not mere illusions.
The Titan is a figure from Greek mythology, probably Epimetheus, who was tasked with guarding a sealed jar filled with the world's evils. He and his brother Prometheus were both Titans. Longfellow intentionally leaves the reference a bit unclear, allowing it to convey a broader sense of mythic responsibility.
This is taken straight from Hesiod's original myth. In *Works and Days*, Hope (Elpis) is the only thing left in the jar after everything else has escaped. Scholars have argued for centuries about whether this means Hope is a gift reserved for humanity or if it represents a delusion that is kept hidden from us. Longfellow leaves this ambiguity unresolved — the poem concludes with that lingering question.
The secret lies in the existence and location of all the world's evils, contained within the vessel. The gods charged the Titan with the task of keeping it sealed. When it opens, the secret is “out” in the most straightforward way — the evils escape, and the knowledge of suffering spreads like wildfire.
It's a conscious decision that gives the release a sense of being sneaky instead of sudden. Whispers travel softly from one person to another and can't be halted or taken back. This reflects how suffering truly spreads in the world — not through a single dramatic moment, but slowly, intimately, touching everything.
It refers to madness — particularly the wild, uncontrollable laughter linked to mental illness or intense distress. Longfellow includes it with moans and sorrow to illustrate that the evils unleashed are not only physical ailments but also mental disorders.
It appears in *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), a lengthy dramatic poem that Longfellow dedicated much of his life to. The poem adopts a chorus format—a collective voice similar to that found in ancient Greek drama—to comment on the unfolding action. In this work, Longfellow employs the Pandora myth to explore the roots of human suffering before transitioning into the Christian themes that define the larger piece.