Longing ~ A Poem by Matthew Arnold

What if the one you long for could visit you—not in life, but in dreams? Matthew Arnold’s “Longing” invites us into a hauntingly beautiful world where night offers what daylight denies.

Longing

Matthew Arnold

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For so the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Come, as thou cam’st a thousand times,
A messenger from radiant climes,
And smile on thy new world, and be
As kind to others as to me!

Or, as thou never cam’st in sooth,
Come now, and let me dream it truth,
And part my hair, and kiss my brow,
And say, My love why sufferest thou?

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For so the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Source

🧠 Reflection Questions:

1. What does the speaker’s desire to see their loved one in a dream suggest about the power of the subconscious?
2. How does the poem blur the line between what is real and what is imagined?
3. Can dreams offer true healing—or do they deepen the ache?

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💭 Poignant Reflection:

In Longing, Matthew Arnold captures the cruel arithmetic of grief: one night’s dream can feel more real—and more restorative—than a thousand waking hours. His plea is not for life to return as it was, but for just enough illusion to soothe the soul. It reminds us that sometimes, the heart accepts tenderness even if it’s wrapped in moonlight and illusion.