The original form of this quote comes from a poem called "Further
Language from Truthful James," published in 1870 by Bret Harte. Harte
was a very popular author in his time, and was known for writing
humorous pieces of prose and poetry that featured the dialects of the
Old West. Bret Harte wrote several poems narrated by a fictional
character called "Truthful James."
Here is the poem in its entirety:
Further Language from Truthful James
Do I sleep? do I dream?
Do I wonder and doubt?
Are things what they seem?
Or is visions about?
Is our civilization a failure?
Or is the Caucasian played out?
Which expressions are strong;
Yet would feebly imply
Some account of a wrong--
Not to call it a lie--
As was worked off on William, my pardner,
And the same being W. Nye.
He came down to the Ford
On the very same day
Of that lottery drawed
By those sharps at the Bay;
And he says to me, "Truthful, how goes it?"
I replied, "It is far, far from gay;
"For the camp has gone wild
On this lottery game,
And has even beguiled
'Injin Dick' by the same."
Which said Nye to me, "Injins is pizen:
Do you know what his number is, James?"
I replied "7,2,
9,8,4, is his hand;"
When he started, and drew
Out a list, which he scanned;
Then he softly went for his revolver
With language I cannot command.
Then I said, "William Nye!"
But he turned upon me,
And the look in his eye
Was quite painful to see;
And he says, "You mistake: this poor Injin
I protects from such sharps as you be!"
I was shocked and withdrew;
But I grieve to relate,
When he next met my view
Injin Dick was his mate,
And the two around town was a-lying
In a frightfully dissolute state.
Which the war-dance they had
Round a tree at the Bend
Was a sight that was sad;
And it seemed that the end
Would not justify the proceedings,
As I quiet remarked to a friend.
For that Injin he fled
The next day to his band;
And we found William spread
Very loose on the strand,
With a peaceful-like smile on his features,
And a dollar greenback in his hand;
Which, the same when rolled out,
We observed with surprise,
That that Injin, no doubt,
Had believed was the prize,--
Them figures in red in the corner,
Which the number of notes specifies.
Was it guile, or a dream?
Is it Nye that I doubt?
Are things what they seem?
Or is visions about?
Is our civilization a failure?
Or is the Caucasian played out?
Worldwide School: Complete Poetical Works by Bret Harte
http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/lit/poetry/CompletePoeticalWorks/chap3.html
The first lines of this poem gained new popularity with the
publication in 1912 of Lucy Maud Montgomery's "Chronicles of Avonlea,"
which included a reference to it, with a slight change in wording
(substituting "Is things what they seem" for "Are things what they
seem"):
" When the door closed on the pair the three sisters-in-law stared at
each other. Mrs. Frederick, feeling herself incapable of expressing
her sensations originally, took refuge in a quotation:
'Do I sleep, do I dream, do I wonder and doubt? Is things what they
seem, or is visions about?' "
Worldwide School: Chronicles of Avonlea
http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/youth/other/ChroniclesofAvonlea/chap11.html
Google search strategy:
Google Web Search: "do I sleep do I dream"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22do+I+sleep+do+I+dream
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Best regards,
pinkfreud |
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