Many a man holds dreams to be but lies,
All fabulous; but there have been some dreams
No whit deceptive, as was later found.
The narrator suggests that many doubt the significance and truth of dreams. Most men, he suggests, view dreams as nothing more than lies—visages that are invented by our unconscious minds. Others, however, feel that our dreams are particularly meaningful and should be viewed with great respect and value. Therefore, this quotation addresses the fact that, historically, the reliability of dreams to predict reality was greatly debated; many viewed dreams as nothing more than the imaginings of our slumbering minds.
When I the age of twenty had attained--
The age when Love controls a young man's heart […]
In this quotation, the narrator establishes the now-cliché notion of the dreamer, who doubles as a lover. The narrator suggests that young men are controlled by their desire to love and that these love-filled desires will ultimately fuel their dreams. The narrator, who admits that he is equal parts dreamer and lover, suggests that at the age of twenty, he was mature enough to understand the significance of dreams, but was still youthful enough to believe in the power of true love. Therefore, this quotation characterizes the narrator as both lover and dreamer.
The more a man gazes on what he loves,
The more he sets fire to his heart
And bastes it with bacon fat.
In this unique quotation, the narrator suggests that men, once they set their sights on something, will develop an insatiable need to acquire such things. The narrator suggests that men will baste their heart with bacon fat, which is a poetic way of saying that men will create a protective layer around their hearts and nourish it, so as to never let the flame die. In short, in this quotation, the narrator characterizes men as being easily captivated by and obsessed with worldly objects.
Though Hope be courteous and debonair,
She's never certain.
Here, the narrator suggests that hope is a fulfilling emotion, but one that should never be fully trusted. Hope fills us with positive sentiments and a prospective sense of joy. Hope can be deceiving, however, for it is a man-made emotion and does not guarantee a positive nor happy result. The narrator therefore cautions the reader against placing full trust in the emotion of hope, for it can fill you with a false sense of hope and ultimately result in more heartbreak.
