The heavens, like a sumptuous canopy,
Shall shake out their blue folds to droop and trail
About our happy brows, that shall be pale
With so much gladness, such expectancy [...]
In this stanza, the narrator once again describes his joy at his impending marriage. He suggests that the heavens will shine good will and beauty down upon them and open up to bless their marriage. Once again, the narrator emphasizes the physical beauty of the day. He describes the scenery and setting and alludes to its ethereal nature. The narrator further suggests that their love is so other-worldly and overwhelming that even the scenery, the sky, the natural world are contributing to this beautiful wedding day. The narrator concludes this stanza by describing the urgency sense of “expectancy.” This expectancy refers to the moods of the narrator and his fiancé. It suggests that the two are so in love that they cannot wait to become partners in marriage. It could also suggest that the two individuals have great expectations for their marriage and their life after it. In other words, the narrator and his fiancé are so sure in their love and admiration that they cannot wait to begin married life together.
Oft do I dream this strange and penetrating dream:
An unknown woman, whom I love, who loves me well [...]
In these opening lines from “Oft Do I Dream,” the narrator is pondering a frequent and recurring dream that he has. In this dream, a woman—always the same woman—is comforting some hidden and mysterious loss/pain that the narrator suffers from. The narrator makes it very clear that this woman holds a special place in his heart and, he suggests, that he holds an equally special place in her own. In this way, the narrator establishes this beloved relationship between himself and this woman he dreams of. This is suggestive of their relationship—whether real or imagined—in the real world (outside of his dreams). This stanza positions the dream and the woman as the primary focus of this poem and makes it very clear that the woman exists only in his dreams.
It shall be, then, upon a summer's day:
The sun, my joy's accomplice, bright shall shine,
And add, amid your silk and satin fine,
To your dear radiance still another ray.
In this titular opening stanza, the narrator discusses the decision to marry his beloved on a beautiful summer’s day. The narrator concludes that their wedding should take place on a bright summer’s day due to the radiant effect of the sun. The narrator tells his fiancé that the she will be clad in beautiful clothes, which will reflect and glow in the sun’s beautiful radiance. The narrator describes the sun as his “joy’s accomplice,” which suggests that he is extremely happy to marry this woman. Though he is already overcome with joy, he knows that the combination of the sun and his wife will only grow and exemplify his joy more. Finally, the narrator concludes that the sun will build upon his fiancé’s radiance and make her even more beautiful than she already is. Though it’s clear that the narrator loves his fiancé, this stanza also emphasizes the fiancé’s physical beauty, which suggests that perhaps physical beauty is more important to the narrator than anything else.
Is she of favor dark or fair?-I do not know.
Her name? All I remember is that it doth flow
Softly, as do the names of them we loved and lost.
In the previous stanzas of this poem, the narrator established this mysterious woman as a very important part of his life and heart. Here, however, the narrator teases her mysterious nature even further. He suggests that he doesn’t know if she is in “favor dark or fair.” In other words, the narrator makes it clear that, though he loves this woman, he is unsure whether she is a force of good or a force of evil. He is unsure whether or not the impact she’s had on his life is one of good or one of malice. In this way, she is dangerous and enticing in equal measure. He then admits that he does not remember her name, but does recall that her name was a beautiful one. Once again, the narrator establishes the woman’s mysterious beauty. Though he doesn’t know her name, he knows that her name is elegant and supple—much like the woman herself.
