THE DREAMS by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A father and his young son drift off to sleep, each entering a vivid dream: the boy envisions a brave future filled with adventure and growing up, while the father reminisces about his own childhood — fishing in ponds, watching robins, and spending time with old friends.
The poem
Two dreams came down to earth one night From the realm of mist and dew; One was a dream of the old, old days, And one was a dream of the new. One was a dream of a shady lane That led to the pickerel pond Where the willows and rushes bowed themselves To the brown old hills beyond. And the people that peopled the old-time dream Were pleasant and fair to see, And the dreamer he walked with them again As often of old walked he. Oh, cool was the wind in the shady lane That tangled his curly hair! Oh, sweet was the music the robins made To the springtime everywhere! Was it the dew the dream had brought From yonder midnight skies, Or was it tears from the dear, dead years That lay in the dreamer's eyes? The _other_ dream ran fast and free, As the moon benignly shed Her golden grace on the smiling face In the little trundle-bed. For 't was a dream of times to come-- Of the glorious noon of day-- Of the summer that follows the careless spring When the child is done with play. And 't was a dream of the busy world Where valorous deeds are done; Of battles fought in the cause of right, And of victories nobly won. It breathed no breath of the dear old home And the quiet joys of youth; It gave no glimpse of the good old friends Or the old-time faith and truth. But 't was a dream of youthful hopes, And fast and free it ran, And it told to a little sleeping child Of a boy become a man! These were the dreams that came one night To earth from yonder sky; These were the dreams two dreamers dreamed-- My little boy and I. And in our hearts my boy and I Were glad that it was so; _He_ loved to dream of days to come, And _I_ of long ago. So from our dreams my boy and I Unwillingly awoke, But neither of his precious dream Unto the other spoke. Yet of the love we bore those dreams Gave each his tender sign; For there was triumph in _his_ eyes-- And there were tears in _mine!_
A father and his young son drift off to sleep, each entering a vivid dream: the boy envisions a brave future filled with adventure and growing up, while the father reminisces about his own childhood — fishing in ponds, watching robins, and spending time with old friends. When they awaken, neither speaks a word, but their expressions reveal everything: the boy's eyes sparkle with excitement, and the father's are brimming with tears.
Line-by-line
Two dreams came down to earth one night / From the realm of mist and dew;
One was a dream of a shady lane / That led to the pickerel pond
And the people that peopled the old-time dream / Were pleasant and fair to see,
Oh, cool was the wind in the shady lane / That tangled his curly hair!
Was it the dew the dream had brought / From yonder midnight skies,
The _other_ dream ran fast and free, / As the moon benignly shed
For 't was a dream of times to come-- / Of the glorious noon of day--
And 't was a dream of the busy world / Where valorous deeds are done;
It breathed no breath of the dear old home / And the quiet joys of youth;
But 't was a dream of youthful hopes, / And fast and free it ran,
These were the dreams that came one night / To earth from yonder sky;
And in our hearts my boy and I / Were glad that it was so;
So from our dreams my boy and I / Unwillingly awoke,
Yet of the love we bore those dreams / Gave each his tender sign;
Tone & mood
Warm, nostalgic, and gently bittersweet. Field writes with the tender ease of a father who has come to terms with the inevitable passage of time — even as it brings him to tears. There's no self-pity in his words, just a clear acceptance that youth is about looking ahead while age reflects on the past, and that both perspectives deserve love.
Symbols & metaphors
- The pickerel pond and shady lane — The father's childhood landscape represents memory itself — sensory, grounded, and lost to time. The fishing pond isn't merely a spot; it's the entire essence of a life that has come and gone.
- The trundle-bed — The small, low bed where the boy sleeps represents the innocence and security of childhood. It keeps him grounded in the present while his dreams propel him into the future.
- Noon vs. twilight / spring vs. summer — Field uses the cycle of the day and the year to illustrate the contrast between the two dreamers. The boy is in the spring and morning of his life, while the father is already past noon, reflecting on the start of the day.
- Tears in the father's eyes — The tears aren't just about grief; they're a physical expression of love for something that's lost forever. Field intentionally keeps their meaning unclear: are they dew from the dream or tears from genuine loss? Both interpretations hold true.
- Triumph in the boy's eyes — The boy's bright eyes reflect the father's tears as a contrasting pair. Together, these two expressions create a full image of the human relationship with time: one face illuminated by what lies ahead, and the other touched by what has passed.
- The two dreams descending from the sky — By sending the dreams down from a cosmic "realm of mist and dew," Field implies that the longing for the past and the yearning for the future are not just individual traits but shared experiences—forces that touch every human life.
Historical context
Eugene Field wrote this poem in the late 1800s, by which time he was already recognized as the "poet of childhood." This title came from his sentimental, family-oriented verses featured in his Chicago newspaper column. As a father of several children, his most cherished poems reflect the nuances of family life during bedtime. The 1880s and 1890s were marked by a strong interest in America for poetry that celebrated home and childhood as safe havens from the rapid changes brought by industrialization and urban growth. Field's work fits perfectly within that tradition, but at its best—like this poem—it feels genuine rather than forced. "The Dreams" was included in his collection *With Trumpet and Drum* (1892). Field passed away in 1895 at the young age of 45, giving his poems about the fleeting nature of childhood and the bittersweetness of memory an added layer of depth in hindsight.
FAQ
A father and his young son drift off to sleep together, each entering a dream. The boy envisions a brave future filled with battles, victories, and the journey of growing up. Meanwhile, the father reminisces about his childhood — a fishing pond, cherished friends, and the beauty of spring. When they awaken, neither says a word, but their expressions tell the whole story: the boy beams with triumph, while the father’s eyes glisten with tears.
Field waits to reveal the identities of the two dreamers until close to the end: they are the speaker (the father) and his young son, who is sleeping in a trundle bed. The poem's emotional impact relies on this delayed revelation — we encounter both dreams before realizing who they belong to.
The two expressions reflect each other perfectly. The boy wakes up thrilled, inspired by a dream that painted a bright future. The father wakes up touched, as his dream took him back to a childhood he can’t return to. Neither response is truly sad; both are expressions of love, directed toward different points in the timeline of their lives.
Field suggests that some experiences are too personal and precious to express in words—particularly between a parent and child who share an understanding that doesn't require explanation. This silence also helps maintain the dream's magic; discussing it might take away from its wonder.
A trundle bed (sometimes spelled truckle bed) is a low bed on wheels that can be rolled under a larger bed during the day. These beds were popular in nineteenth-century American homes for young children. Field uses it to show that the boy is small and young — still very much a child, even as he dreams of growing up.
Field's phrase succinctly describes the past—years that were cherished ("dear") but are now lost ("dead"). The alliteration gives the phrase a memorable quality. It evokes the particular pain of nostalgia: those years were loved, and now they feel out of reach.
Almost certainly in spirit, yes. Field had his own children and often wrote about family life and fatherhood. He grew up in rural Missouri and later Illinois, which aligns with the pastoral childhood scenery in the father's dream. Whether a particular night with a specific son inspired it is uncertain — but the emotional truth feels like a genuine experience.
The poem uses ballad stanzas, which consist of four lines with an ABCB rhyme scheme, meaning the second and fourth lines rhyme. This simple, song-like structure fits perfectly with the poem's bedtime storytelling vibe. Field sometimes italicizes words to emphasize them, a technique that was popular in newspaper poetry during his time.