Dream and Fantasy in Surrealism
Dream and Fantasy in Surrealism
We knew this one was coming. After all, if the Surrealists are interested in the unconscious mind and the irrational, how could they not be interested in dreams and fantasies? Dreams and fantasies are often the means through which our unconscious selves, and our irrational drives, find expression.
Surrealist literature often evokes dream and fantasy worlds. Strange things happen—things that couldn't happen in reality. When we read a Surrealist poem or novel, we will often feel as though we've entered into a dream world. It's where all the fun is at.
Chew On This
In "Last Poem," the speaker of Robert Desnos' poem dreams so deeply of his lover that he loses touch with reality. Happens to all of us.
In Pierre Reverdy's "Live, Flesh," the speaker fantasizes about a corpse rising up and walking. Pretty fantastical, we'd say.