Akbar’s Dream by Alfred Tennyson (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

Akbar’s Dream 

by Alfred Tennyson

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

Akbar’s Dream

I

An Emperor’s dream!—and he who bore

The Crescent on his blazing shield,

Whose word was law from shore to shore,

Whose will the souls of millions filled,

He dreamed—O wondrous dream!—to blend

All creeds in one, all faiths to mend.

 

II

He saw, in that imperial dream,

The Cross beside the Crescent gleam;

The Veda, Koran, Bible meet,

And all the gods in concord sweet;

One universal truth to find,

One worship for the human mind.

 

III

‘O God,’ he cried, ‘whose light is love,

Whose will is wisdom from above,

Break down the barriers that divide,

The veils of hate, the clouds of pride,

And let Thy truth, like morning’s beam,

Shine through the mists of man’s poor dream!’

 

IV

He called his sages, wise and old,

Whose lore was writ in scripts of gold;

He bade them search the ancient books,

The sacred springs, the hidden nooks,

To find the truth that underlies

The jarring creeds, the warring cries.

 

V

And there, in Agra’s marble halls,

Where fountains leap and sunlight falls,

They wrought a faith of love and peace,

A gospel meant for man’s release;

No blood to stain, no sword to smite,

But reason’s rule and mercy’s light.

 

VI

He dreamed of temples vast and fair,

Where all might kneel in common prayer;

No priest to curse, no sect to rend,

But heart to heart, and friend to friend,

One anthem rising to the skies,

One truth to make the nations wise.

 

VII

But ah! the dream was all too bright,

Too pure for earth’s divided sight;

The Cross and Crescent clashed again,

The Veda’s chants were sung in vain;

And bigotry, with bitter cry,

Reared walls of hate to rend the sky.

 

VIII

The Emperor died; his dream was done;

The night returned, the stars were gone.

Yet still, methinks, his spirit cries

To us who grope ’neath darker skies:

‘O men, fulfil my dream divine,

And make the truth and mercy mine!’

 

IX

O dream too vast for mortal years,

O hope too high for human tears!

Yet not in vain the vision came,

Nor dies the spark of that great flame;

For still the soul of Akbar cries,

And Truth shall triumph ere she dies.

 

Summary

"Akbar’s Dream," a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, published in 1892, is a lyrical exploration of the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s visionary aspiration to unite diverse religious faiths into a singular, harmonious creed. Composed in nine stanzas, each with six lines and a consistent AABBCC rhyme scheme, the poem narrates Akbar’s ambitious dream, its partial realization, its ultimate failure, and its enduring legacy as a call for unity and truth. Set against the backdrop of Akbar’s historical attempt to foster religious tolerance in 16th-century India, Tennyson’s work reflects on the emperor’s noble but unfulfilled ideal, weaving a narrative that is both historical and timeless in its plea for universal understanding.

The poem opens by introducing Akbar, a powerful ruler whose authority as the bearer of the Crescent—the symbol of Islam—extends across vast lands, commanding the allegiance of millions. Tennyson describes Akbar’s dream as extraordinary: a vision to reconcile all religious creeds, merging them into a single, unifying faith that transcends division. This dream is not merely a political or administrative ambition but a profound spiritual yearning to mend the fractures of human belief systems. Akbar envisions a world where diverse faiths coexist in harmony, a radical idea for his time, given the rigid religious boundaries of the era.

In the second stanza, Tennyson elaborates on the specifics of Akbar’s vision. The emperor imagines a symbolic convergence of religious emblems—the Christian Cross, the Islamic Crescent, and texts like the Veda, Koran, and Bible—standing together in unity. These sacred symbols and scriptures, representing Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, are envisioned as meeting in “concord sweet,” suggesting a peaceful coexistence. Akbar’s goal is to uncover a universal truth that binds humanity, fostering a singular worship that transcends sectarian divides and unites the human mind under one spiritual purpose.

The third stanza captures Akbar’s prayer to a divine entity, described as a God whose essence is love and whose will is wisdom. He beseeches this deity to dismantle the barriers of hatred and pride that separate people, allowing divine truth to shine through the obscuring mists of human misunderstanding. This plea underscores the spiritual depth of Akbar’s dream, framing it as a divine mission to illuminate humanity with clarity and unity, free from the distortions of prejudice and division.

In the fourth stanza, Akbar takes practical steps toward realizing his vision. He summons his sages, learned scholars well-versed in ancient texts, and instructs them to delve into the sacred writings of various traditions. Their task is to uncover the underlying truth that unites all faiths, sifting through the “jarring creeds” and “warring cries” to find a common thread. This intellectual endeavor reflects Akbar’s belief that reason and scholarship can bridge the gaps between conflicting beliefs, laying the groundwork for a unified faith.

The fifth stanza shifts to the setting of Agra, where Akbar’s court, adorned with marble halls and flowing fountains, becomes the stage for this ambitious project. Here, the sages craft a new faith rooted in love and peace, designed to liberate humanity from conflict. This “gospel” rejects violence—no blood is to be shed, no swords drawn—in favor of reason and mercy. Tennyson portrays this as a moment of hope, where the ideals of compassion and understanding take tangible form, even if only briefly.

In the sixth stanza, Akbar’s dream expands to envision grand temples where people of all backgrounds can worship together. These temples symbolize a world without curses from priests or divisions from sects, where humanity unites in a shared anthem of truth. The emperor imagines a global community bound by friendship and wisdom, with a single truth elevating all nations. This vision is utopian, aspiring to a harmony that transcends cultural and religious boundaries.

However, the seventh stanza introduces the poem’s tragic turn. Akbar’s dream proves too idealistic for the divided world. The Cross and Crescent clash again, and the chants of the Veda are drowned out by renewed conflict. Bigotry resurfaces, raising “walls of hate” that shatter the emperor’s vision. Tennyson underscores the fragility of such a dream in the face of entrenched divisions, highlighting the persistent power of sectarian strife to undermine unity.

The eighth stanza marks Akbar’s death and the collapse of his dream. The “night” returns, symbolizing the loss of hope, and the stars—emblems of his vision—fade. Yet, Tennyson suggests that Akbar’s spirit endures, calling out to future generations to fulfill his dream of truth and mercy. This posthumous plea positions Akbar as a prophetic figure whose ideals remain relevant despite their failure in his lifetime.

The final stanza reflects on the dream’s grandeur and its unattainability within the span of mortal years. Tennyson acknowledges the vision’s lofty nature, too vast for immediate realization, yet insists it was not in vain. The “spark” of Akbar’s dream persists, carried forward by his enduring call for truth. The poem concludes on a hopeful note, asserting that truth will ultimately triumph, keeping Akbar’s vision alive as an inspiration for future efforts toward unity.

In summary, "Akbar’s Dream" is a poetic tribute to a historical figure’s bold attempt to unify humanity through a shared faith. Tennyson crafts a narrative that moves from aspiration to action, setback to legacy, using Akbar’s story to explore themes of tolerance and the human struggle for unity. The poem, spanning 54 lines across nine stanzas, serves as both a historical reflection and a timeless appeal for a world where truth and mercy prevail over division.

 

Line-by-Line Paraphrase

I 

An Emperor’s dream!—and he who bore 

-> A ruler’s grand vision!—the one who carried 

The Crescent on his blazing shield, 

-> The Islamic symbol on his shining shield, 

Whose word was law from shore to shore, 

-> Whose commands ruled across vast lands, 

Whose will the souls of millions filled, 

-> Whose desires inspired countless people, 

He dreamed—O wondrous dream!—to blend 

-> He imagined—an amazing goal!—to unite 

All creeds in one, all faiths to mend. 

-> All religions into one, healing their divides. 

 

II 

He saw, in that imperial dream, 

-> In his royal vision, he pictured 

The Cross beside the Crescent gleam; 

-> The Christian Cross shining next to the Islamic Crescent; 

The Veda, Koran, Bible meet, 

-> The Hindu Veda, Muslim Koran, and Christian Bible coming together, 

And all the gods in concord sweet; 

-> And all deities in peaceful harmony; 

One universal truth to find, 

-> A single truth for all to discover, 

One worship for the human mind. 

-> One faith for all humanity to share. 

 

III 

‘O God,’ he cried, ‘whose light is love, 

-> “O God,” he prayed, “whose essence is love, 

Whose will is wisdom from above, 

-> Whose purpose is divine wisdom, 

Break down the barriers that divide, 

-> Tear down the walls that separate us, 

The veils of hate, the clouds of pride, 

-> The curtains of hatred, the fog of arrogance, 

And let Thy truth, like morning’s beam, 

-> And let Your truth, like the sun’s rays, 

Shine through the mists of man’s poor dream!’ 

-> Break through the haze of human confusion!” 

 

IV 

He called his sages, wise and old, 

-> He summoned his scholars, learned and elderly, 

Whose lore was writ in scripts of gold; 

-> Whose knowledge was recorded in precious texts; 

He bade them search the ancient books, 

-> He ordered them to study ancient writings, 

The sacred springs, the hidden nooks, 

-> The holy sources and secret places, 

To find the truth that underlies 

-> To uncover the truth beneath 

The jarring creeds, the warring cries. 

-> The conflicting beliefs and battling shouts. 

 

V 

And there, in Agra’s marble halls, 

-> And there, in Agra’s grand marble palaces, 

Where fountains leap and sunlight falls, 

-> Where fountains splash and sunlight glows, 

They wrought a faith of love and peace, 

-> They created a belief based on love and peace, 

A gospel meant for man’s release; 

-> A teaching meant to free humanity; 

No blood to stain, no sword to smite, 

-> No bloodshed to taint, no weapons to strike, 

But reason’s rule and mercy’s light. 

-> But guided by reason and illuminated by compassion. 

 

VI 

He dreamed of temples vast and fair, 

-> He envisioned grand and beautiful temples, 

Where all might kneel in common prayer; 

-> Where everyone could pray together; 

No priest to curse, no sect to rend, 

-> No priest to condemn, no group to divide, 

But heart to heart, and friend to friend, 

-> But people united, heart to heart, as friends, 

One anthem rising to the skies, 

-> One song of praise soaring to the heavens, 

One truth to make the nations wise. 

-> One truth to enlighten all nations. 

 

VII 

But ah! the dream was all too bright, 

-> But alas! The vision was too perfect, 

Too pure for earth’s divided sight; 

-> Too pure for a world full of divisions; 

The Cross and Crescent clashed again, 

-> The Cross and Crescent fought once more, 

The Veda’s chants were sung in vain; 

-> The Veda’s hymns were chanted uselessly; 

And bigotry, with bitter cry, 

-> And intolerance, with angry shouts, 

Reared walls of hate to rend the sky. 

-> Built walls of hatred that tore the heavens apart. 

 

VIII 

The Emperor died; his dream was done; 

-> The Emperor passed away; his vision ended; 

The night returned, the stars were gone. 

-> Darkness returned, the stars disappeared. 

Yet still, methinks, his spirit cries 

-> Yet still, I believe, his soul calls out 

To us who grope ’neath darker skies: 

-> To us who struggle under gloomier skies: 

‘O men, fulfil my dream divine, 

-> “O people, complete my sacred vision, 

And make the truth and mercy mine!’ 

-> And make truth and compassion yours!” 

 

IX 

O dream too vast for mortal years, 

-> O vision too grand for human lifetimes, 

O hope too high for human tears! 

-> O hope too great for human sorrow! 

Yet not in vain the vision came, 

-> Yet the dream was not for nothing, 

Nor dies the spark of that great flame; 

-> Nor does the glow of that great fire fade; 

For still the soul of Akbar cries, 

-> For Akbar’s spirit still calls out, 

And Truth shall triumph ere she dies. 

-> And truth will prevail before it perishes. 

 

Analysis in Detail

Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Akbar’s Dream," published in 1892 as part of his collection The Death of Oenone, Akbar’s Dream, and Other Poems, stands as a poignant meditation on religious tolerance, human aspiration, and the perennial struggle between idealism and reality. Written late in Tennyson's career, when he was grappling with the social and spiritual upheavals of Victorian England, the poem draws on the historical figure of Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great (1542–1605), who sought to forge a syncretic religion known as Din-i-Ilahi, blending elements of Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and other faiths. Tennyson transforms this historical anecdote into a symbolic narrative, critiquing the sectarian divisions of his own era while advocating for a universal truth rooted in love and reason. Through its structured form, vivid imagery, rhetorical devices, and thematic depth, the poem not only eulogizes Akbar's unfulfilled dream but also issues a timeless call to humanity, reflecting Tennyson's broader poetic concerns with faith, progress, and moral evolution.

The poem's structure is meticulously crafted, comprising nine stanzas of six lines each, adhering to a consistent AABBCC rhyme scheme that lends it a hymn-like rhythm, evoking the very religious harmony Akbar envisions. This formal regularity mirrors the emperor's orderly quest for unity, creating a sense of progression from dream to action, failure, and legacy. The iambic tetrameter and trimeter lines build a measured pace, akin to a contemplative prayer or lament, which underscores the poem's elegiac tone. Tennyson's use of this ballad-like form—reminiscent of his earlier works like "In Memoriam"—allows for a narrative arc that rises in optimism and falls into melancholy, only to resolve in tentative hope. The division into stanzas corresponds to key phases: introduction of the dream (I-II), invocation and planning (III-IV), realization (V-VI), collapse (VII-VIII), and reflection (IX). This architectural symmetry symbolizes the fragility of human endeavors, where ambition builds like a temple only to be undermined by discord.

Thematically, "Akbar’s Dream" explores the tension between unity and division, idealism and pragmatism, with Akbar serving as a Christ-like figure of enlightenment amid darkness. The emperor's vision is portrayed as a radical act of synthesis: blending "all creeds in one" (I.5) to heal the "jarring creeds" (IV.11). Tennyson draws on Akbar's historical context—his establishment of the Ibadat Khana (House of Worship) in Fatehpur Sikri for interfaith dialogues—to symbolize a broader human longing for transcendence. Yet, the poem critiques religious bigotry as an innate human flaw, personified in stanza VII where "bigotry, with bitter cry, / Reared walls of hate to rend the sky" (VII.5-6). This imagery of walls and rending evokes biblical echoes, such as the Tower of Babel, suggesting that division is a fall from grace. Tennyson's Victorian lens is evident here; writing amid rising imperialism, Irish religious conflicts, and Darwinian doubts about faith, he uses Akbar to lament contemporary schisms, including Protestant-Catholic tensions in Britain and colonial frictions in India. The dream's failure upon Akbar's death (VIII) highlights mortality's limits, but the enduring "spark" (IX.4) affirms Tennyson's optimistic evolutionism, akin to his views in "Locksley Hall," where progress emerges from strife.

Symbolism permeates the poem, enriching its layers of meaning. The recurring motifs of light and darkness represent divine truth versus human ignorance: Akbar prays for God's "truth, like morning’s beam" (III.5) to pierce "mists" (III.6), while his death brings "night" and vanished "stars" (VIII.2). Celestial bodies like the Crescent (Islamic symbol) and Cross (Christian) gleaming together (II.2) embody syncretism, contrasting with their later clash (VII.3), which illustrates how symbols of faith can become weapons of division. Sacred texts—the Veda, Koran, Bible (II.3)—meeting in "concord sweet" (II.4) symbolize intellectual harmony, while Agra's "marble halls" and "fountains" (V.1-2) evoke the opulent yet serene Mughal courts, settings of enlightenment that Tennyson romanticizes as utopias thwarted by reality. Akbar himself symbolizes the enlightened despot, his dream a "gospel" of "reason’s rule and mercy’s light" (V.5-6), blending Enlightenment rationalism with Christian mercy—a fusion reflective of Tennyson's own synthesis of science and spirituality.

Rhetorical devices amplify the poem's emotional and persuasive power. Exclamations like "O wondrous dream!" (I.5) and "But ah!" (VII.1) convey awe and sorrow, drawing readers into Akbar's emotional journey. Apostrophe in Akbar's prayer (III) and his spirit's cry (VIII.5) personalizes the divine appeal, making abstract ideals intimate. Alliteration, such as "barriers that divide" (III.3) and "heart to heart, and friend to friend" (VI.4), creates musicality that mimics unity's harmony, while antithesis—"No blood to stain, no sword to smite" (V.5)—contrasts violence with peace to emphasize the dream's pacifism. Tennyson's use of archaic language ("methinks," VIII.3; "ere she dies," IX.6) lends a prophetic, biblical timbre, elevating the poem to scriptural status and aligning Akbar with figures like King Arthur in Idylls of the King, another Tennysonian archetype of flawed idealism.

Historically, the poem engages with Akbar's legacy as a tolerant ruler, but Tennyson idealizes him, omitting controversies like his military conquests to focus on spiritual reform. This selective portrayal serves Tennyson's didactic purpose: in an age of British Raj expansion, it subtly critiques imperialism's divisiveness while promoting cross-cultural understanding. Philosophically, it echoes Romantic ideals of the sublime unity in diversity, influenced by Tennyson's readings in Eastern mysticism and his friendship with figures like Edward FitzGerald, translator of the Rubaiyat. The concluding assertion that "Truth shall triumph ere she dies" (IX.6) embodies Tennyson's faith in teleological progress, where even failed dreams ignite future flames.

Ultimately, "Akbar’s Dream" endures as a testament to Tennyson's humanistic vision, urging readers to transcend sectarianism in pursuit of a shared moral core. Though rooted in 16th-century India, its message resonates in our fragmented world, reminding us that dreams of unity, however quixotic, are sparks against the encroaching night. In Tennyson's oeuvre, it bridges his early romanticism and late pessimism, offering not despair but a clarion call: fulfill the vision, or perish in division. Through its artistry and depth, the poem affirms poetry's role in mending the "warring cries" of humanity, ensuring Akbar's dream—and Tennyson's—lives on.