# Vashti explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by James Weldon Johnson.

## What happens

The speaker recalls a dreamlike memory of a far-off, ancient land where he served as a devoted attendant to a princess named Vashti. He describes his intense, unrequited love and admiration for her beauty and grace, marked by stolen glances and a deep sense of longing. The poem contrasts the past with the present, where they meet again in a different world, but an even greater divide now separates them.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Beauty

The speaker's intense, unfulfilled love for Vashti and his admiration for her physical beauty dominate the chapter.

### Resilience and Hope

Despite the passage of ages and the enduring divide, the speaker continues to hold onto the memory and feeling of love.

## Character check-ins

### Vashti

The princess in the speaker's dream memory, described as proud, beautiful, and distant.

### Sam

The speaker, who recalls being a serving lad in the dream, deeply devoted to Vashti.

## Key lines

> I sometimes take you in my dreams to a far-off land I used to know, Back in the ages long ago; a land of palms and languid streams.

In my dreams, I transport you to a distant, ancient land I once knew, filled with palm trees and slow-moving streams.

_The speaker introduces the dream setting as a nostalgic, idyllic past._

> And you were a princess in those days. And I⁠—I was your serving lad.

You were a princess back then, and I was your servant boy.

_Establishes the hierarchical relationship between the speaker and Vashti in the dream._

> Now after ages long and sad, in this stern land we meet anew; No more a princess proud are you, and I⁠—I am no serving lad.

Now, after many sorrowful ages, we meet again in this harsh land; you are no longer a proud princess, and I am no longer a servant boy.

_The speaker contrasts the past with the present, noting the changed circumstances but a deeper emotional divide._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_13_se/chapters/vashti
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_13_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_13_se/chapters