At the beginning of the play, the narrator is mourning the loss of a pearl in the garden. Pearl symbolically signifies his daughter. The dreamer falls asleep and starts having a vivid dream where he finds himself beside a river. He recognizes a beautiful maiden whose white gown is covered with pearls on the far side of a stream. The speaker becomes surprised by the woman and draws near the river bank to have a word with her. Finally, he starts talking to her. However, he is equally amazed by how the maiden uses Christian doctrine to answer his questions. The maiden reveals that she is one of the virgin brides chosen by Christ.
The maiden takes the dreamer to a city called New Jerusalem, where he meets the other brides. The dreamer becomes enthralled by the heavenly city and develops the curiosity to cross the stream. However, before crossing the stream, he wakes up. The vivid dream offers him tranquility because he realizes that his daughter is safe in heaven. The gardener seems to have gotten confused by how his daughter has become a queen in heaven. The maiden refers to everybody as a queen in heaven.
The Christian doctrines stated by the maiden gives his father an insight into heavenly perspective. The act of dreaming with a paradise-like setting metaphorically symbolizes bridging the gap between the physical and spiritual world. The use of pearl in the poem symbolizes the convergence of heavenly and earthly values. Christians use pearl as a symbol of purity in heaven. Finally, the dreamer is relieved to learn that there is a beautiful life after death. Therefore, he vows to live by the will of God.
