Salutatorian, Dean's List

*I already wrote this answer recently, however hope this helps :

The classic poem by H. W. Longfellow begins by setting the main plot and taking you to the
place where the slave lies with the rice yet "ungathered" wiht a "sickle in his hand".
He collapses and dreams about his "Native Land" where he was the king pre-slavery in an
African nation, the river Niger nearby. He is embraced by his queen and children, a scene which
is enough to melt his eyes. He rode majestically over his royal stallion, via landmarks, smiling at
nature and the voices of wild animals.
The ending brings us back from virtuality. The slave no more feels the whips nor the tormenting
heat. Death overrode his dreams "Illuminating his Land of Sleep". Darkness symbolises despair.
Death illuminates his Land of Sleep, bringing a new ray in his life as freedom of his soul,
although his body remains as a slave.
Summary for the poem "A Slave's Dream": The Slave's Dream by H.W. Longfellow portrays
the lost dreams and ambitions of a slave. This slave is captivated by the images of his family and
native land. He collapses and dreams about his "Native Land" where he was the king pre-slavery
in an African nation, the river Niger nearby. He is embraced by his queen and children, a scene
which is enough to melt his eyes. He rode majestically over his royal stallion, via landmarks,
smiling at nature and the voices of wild animals. Once we are back into reality the slave no more
feels the whips nor the tormenting heat. Death overrode his dreams "Illuminating his Land of
Sleep". Darkness symbolises despair. Death illuminates his Land of Sleep, bringing a new ray in
his life as freedom of his soul, although his body remains as a slave. Kelly Howie
A Slave's Dream Analysis
How did the slaves feel when they were enslaved? What was their escape from the prison that
they were mentally held in? Longfellow uses his poem, A Slaves Dream, to convey their place
of peace while they had to endure those grueling conditions. One way he conveys this is through
diction. He shows that the place of the slaves peace was home. in the mist of the shadow of
sleep, he saw his Native LandOnce more a king he strodeHe saw once more his dark-eyed
queen, among her children stand they clasped his neck, they kissed his cheek, they held him by
the hand! (Longfellow). This explains how he felt that the place he would long for is home.
How he reminisced of Africa and his family that was there. He conveyed how important his wife
was to him by calling her a queen. He explained how he felt about being there, he felt important
like a king. He missed his kids, their touch, and their embrace. He missed everything and while

he thought of that he was at peace. But that is not the only thing Longfellow said would be the
peace of a slave, death was another relief theory through diction that Longfellow mingled with.
What would put a slave to ease when he is down? What would put ease to the pain? Longfellow
explains that death would help ease the pain of a slave through diction. That he started in his
sleep and smiled at their tempestuous glee. He did not feel the drivers whip, nor the burning heat
of the day; for Death had illumined the Land of Sleep, and his lifeless body lay a worn-out fetter,
that the soul had broken and thrown away! (Longfellow). He conveyed how he smiled as he
was near death. Instead of saying that he died, he explained the place known as the Land of
Sleep. This suggested how it would be a place of rest and where he could recuperate from the
struggle. Longfellow used the Land of Sleep to convey how important, big, and open the place
was. Because when one thinks of land they think of a place vast, far, and wide. To say a place
would have made it secluded and not welcoming. Longfellow wanted the audience to understand
how comforting that land was and how it embraced a torn soul. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
wanted to establish to his audience, through diction, the place in which a torture soul would find
ease and comfort in his poem, A Slaves Dream.
This poem depicts a picture of an African "King" who has eventually become a slave in America.
The poem shows the kind of treatment by people who were prejudiced by dark Africans. This
slave is actually dreaming about his native land where his "queen" and his children are showing
their
love
for
him.
As this poem is a ballad so every stanza presents a new movement. In this poem he transferred to
his native land where is enjoying the life of an actual king who is hunting and doing different
things and finally he smiles just before his death and make us feel more sympathetic for him. His
condition was extremely poor and finally God make him free from the "fetters" and he eventually
escapes the misery through death. The Slave's Dream by H.W. Longfellow portrays the lost
dreams and ambitions of a slave. This slave is captivated by the images of his family and native
land. We encounter the various whims and emotions of the slave, which as the poem proceeds
seem to be heighten. The slave's dream is almost like a symphony, which after reaching its peak,
drops to a silence which is defeating-Death
Holding his sickle in his hand, the slave lies beside the dispersed rice. Bare-breasted, his dull hair
is covered in the sand. Weary, he takes a respite from his toil, thus falling asleep. And once again,
images of native land seem to form the 'soul' of his dream. We are introduced to the tiring and
unfulfilling life a slave leads,and how he yearns to go back to his loved ones-native land.
Along the stretch of scenery of his dream,the Niger,almost imperious in its stature, flows regally.
He imagines himself to be a king, no more bound to the shackles of slavery, but free to do
whatsoever he pleases,`and he majestically strides(on horseback)on the plain lined with palm
trees. The slave is so empowered by this dream, he actually hears the tinkle of caravans coming
down the mountain road. Now, the slave is in the midst of a land, which recognizes him as an
individual and not a slave, a land which he identifies with.

The Slave's dream is a beautiful poem by Longfellow which depicts the Poet's support to abolish
slavery. This poem is about an African slave who seems to be having an afternoon sleep but this
also can be interpreted as he has fallen down due to exhaustion, especially when the last stanza
of the poem is interpreted. The poet uses diction, imagery and personification to convey the deep
meaning of the poem. It becomes evident that the slave's dream about his native land is
something that he has been yearning for but possibly was never able to achieve. The word
"Lordly" which has been used to describe river Niger and the personification of the forest as
shouting "Liberty" is a neat depiction of the scenary of Freedom that would have been available
to the poor man had he not been a slave. Another beautiful personification about freedom is with
the
description of the
"Blast" of the
Desert
being
wild and free.
The description of the slave riding as a king with martial attire, with a scabbard on a stallion has
been used by the poet to depict how the slave perceives himself to be living as a King in his
native land, had he not been taken in as a slave. The description of his "dark eyed" queeen and
his children depicts the life the slave is missing as he has left this family behind in the native
land.
The last stanza of the poem shows liberation as the only means of freedom for the slave. For
slaves, ultimatley it is only death in which they will find solace, for they can dream but due to
their helpless state cannot achieve their dreams. It is very touching to read the last stanza, he will
not feel the pain of the whip and the burning heat (which metaphorising the hardship in a slave's
life) as his spirit is finally released free from his haggard body.