Dream Children: A Reverie is a short essay written by Charles Lamb in the early 19th century. In it, Lamb reflects on the nature of childhood and how it differs from adulthood. He begins by recalling a dream in which he meets two children who are the children of his own imagination. These children represent the idea of childhood innocence and freedom, and Lamb longs to return to that state of being.
As he reflects on his own childhood, Lamb remembers how carefree and innocent he was. He remembers the joy of playing and exploring the world around him, and how he was able to find wonder in the simple things. In contrast, he observes that as adults, we are often burdened by the responsibilities and stresses of everyday life. We no longer have the time or energy to find joy in the small things, and our sense of wonder and curiosity is often lost.
Lamb also touches on the idea of nostalgia, and how we often look back on our childhood with a sense of longing and regret. We long to return to that simpler time, but we know that it is impossible. As Lamb writes, "We are all dream children, children of an older, perhaps wiser, but certainly more playful generation." We can never truly return to the carefree days of childhood, but we can still hold onto the memories of that time and try to incorporate some of that sense of wonder and playfulness into our adult lives.
Overall, Dream Children: A Reverie is a beautiful and poignant reflection on the nature of childhood and the passage of time. Through his words, Lamb captures the essence of what it means to be a child and the longing we often feel to return to that state of innocence. It is a reminder to cherish the memories of our own childhoods and to try to hold onto that sense of wonder and playfulness, even as we navigate the complexities of adult life.
Dream Children: A Reverie Summary
He is an essayist rather than a story-teller,—an essayist of an intense individuality. While others would have preferred a secluded comer, he used to mount on horse and ride round the country and join the hunters. In childhood when Charles became a lame footed boy, he carried him over his shoulders for miles. This gave Lamb a chance of seeing the portraits of twelve Roman emperors and various other decorations of that great house. Alice who was listening to this story with rapt attention gave a look likethat of her mother. Indeed, the whole subject-matter of the essay has a basis on the dream. Many similarities have been shown between Alice the daughter and Alice the mother.
Dream Children; A Reverie
Everyone believed that she knew the Psalter and Testament by heart. John was a few years elder than Charles Lamb. Â Ans: John Lamb was the brother of Charles Lamb. Sadly, he looked back upon the barren track of his life and brooded how he could have been in a smiling green Valley. He puts all his emotions in this essay. John, with the passage of time, being brave, earned respect and admiration of almost everyone in the family and out of the family as well.
Charles Lamb: Essays “Dream
Generally speaking, this is associated with pleasant daydreaming, but it can also be associated with melancholy. He spent his days picking the various fruit from around the grounds of the estate. Thus, humour and pathos run throughout the essay. Lamb very carefully chooses the titles of his essays and the title of "Dream Children, A Reverie" is not an exception. As the author begins to speak of his dream wife to his dream children, they seem to grow indistinct and gradually disappears. In this autobiographical essay, the writer tells his dream children the memories of his childhood and his near and dear ones.
