What is a Dream Vision?
A literary genre where a narrator recounts a dream or vision they have experienced.
The Dreamy World of Dream Visions
In the world of literature, there exists a subgenre known as the 'dream vision.' Typically written in poetry or prose, this genre involves a narrator recounting a dream or vision they have experienced. These narratives often unfold in a highly symbolic or metaphorical way, with the dreamer encountering various figures, events, or landscapes that are intended to convey a deeper message or meaning to the reader.
The dream vision has a long and rich history, reaching back to the visionary writings of mystics and prophets in ancient cultures. However, it achieved particular popularity in the medieval European period, when authors such as Chaucer, Langland, and William Dunbar used the dream vision form to explore themes of morality, theology, and earthly life.
To craft a compelling dream vision, writers must pay close attention to the way that language, imagery, and symbolism can work together to create a vivid and immersive dreamscape. They must also be attuned to the nuances of grammar, as even the slightest tweak to a sentence structure or word choice can alter the entire mood or meaning of the piece.
If you're still having trouble wrapping your mind around the concept of a dream vision, consider the following two examples:
In this Middle English poem, the narrator falls asleep on St. Valentine's Day and dreams that he is transported to a beautiful garden, where he encounters a group of birds gathered to choose their mates for the upcoming spring.
In Morrison's novel, the character Shadrack experiences a vivid and horrifying dream vision while serving in World War I, in which he envisions time as a cyclical and meaningless construct.