Poetry · Chapter
Canto V explained
Dymer, having fled into a remote valley after the horror of being cursed, experiences profound despair and self-pity.
What happens
Dymer, having fled into a remote valley after the horror of being cursed, experiences profound despair and self-pity. He reflects on his lost love, the destruction wrought by Bran, and his own perceived betrayal of the City. After a near-fatal fall, he surrenders to the earth and has a dream of a lark's song that hints at renewal and meaning. He awakens to a transformed landscape, seeing a new world below.
Themes in this chapter
Nature vs. Spirit
Dymer's struggle between the natural world's beauty and his inner spiritual despair is central, as he both flees from and ultimately surrenders to the earth.
The Search for Meaning
Dymer questions the purpose of his actions, the nature of joy, and the value of existence, culminating in a dream that hints at a deeper, ongoing meaning.
Love and Loss
Dymer's grief over his lost beloved Joy and the destruction of his former life drives his despair and self-reflection.
Characters to notice
- Dymer
Dymer is the central figure, wandering in despair, reflecting on his actions and losses, and experiencing a near-death fall before a moment of surrender and a vision of renewal.
- Bran
Bran is referenced in Dymer's thoughts as the instigator of the burning and bloodshed in the City, whose deeds haunt Dymer.
- Joy
Joy is the beloved Dymer dreams of and mourns, representing the lost happiness and love he desperately seeks.
Key passages
“How soon it all ran out! And I suppose They, they up there, the old contriving powers, They knew it all the time—for someone knows And waits and watches till we pluck the flowers, Then leaps.”
Dymer laments that his happiness vanished quickly, suspecting that unseen forces deliberately let him enjoy life only to snatch it away.
This reflects Dymer's sense of betrayal by fate or higher powers.
“By God, I will not die, said he; not yet. Then slowly, slowly, with enormous strain, He heaved himself an inch: then heaved again, Till saved and spent he lay.”
After nearly falling to his death, Dymer fights to survive, clawing his way back to safety and acknowledging his will to live.
This moment marks a turning point from passive despair to active survival.
“It seemed to be the low voice of the world Brooding alone beneath the strength of things, Murmuring of days and nights and years unfurled Forever, and the unwearied joy that brings Out of old fields the flowers of unborn springs, Out of old wars and cities burned with wrong, A splendour in the dark, a tale, a song.”
In his dream, Dymer hears the world's voice speaking of eternal cycles and the joy that emerges from destruction and suffering, creating beauty and stories.
This dream offers a vision of renewal and meaning beyond immediate despair.