“Oft Do I Dream”
The speaker in “Oft Do I Dream” has an unconscious enthusiasm for the affection of a female. The speaker admits, “Oft do I dream this strange and penetrating dream:/An unknown woman, whom I love, who loves me well.” Although the speaker does not have a distinct female in mind, he presumes that there subsists a woman who should adore him categorically. The passion of the speaker’s unconscious aspiration is rendered in the lines: “And for her voice she has as if it were the ghost/Of other voices,—well-loved voices that have died.” The reference of a ghost deduces that the dream reappears habitually in the speaker’s unconscious like an obstinate ghost. The dead voices epitomize the speaker’s suppressed wish to perceive a woman converse with him affectionately and devotedly.
“It Shall Be, Then, Upon A Summer's Day”
The imagery of summer is epitome for an idealistic nuptial. The brilliance of the sun would heighten the bride’s splendor. The heavens would proffer a fabulous mood for the lovers to relish their wedding. More significant, “ when day closes, soft shall be the air/That in your snowy veils, caressing, plays,/ And with soft-smiling eyes the stars shall gaze.” The speaker’s positivity concerning the conditions on summer day conjectures that the external weather will not be a deterrent to bliss. If the day were to be in the winter, the couple would have been concerned about the likelihood of frostiness.
