Skip to content

I thought I heard an axe chop in the woods It broke the…

“I thought I heard an axe chop in the woods It broke the dream; and woke up dreaming on a train. It must have been a thousand years ago In some old mountain sawmill of Japan. A horde of excess poets and unwed girls And I that night prowled Tokyo like a bear Tracking the human future Of intelligence…” quote by Gary Snyder
Download Open image
““I thought I heard an axe chop in the woods It broke the dream; and woke up dreaming on a train. It must have been a thousand years ago In some old mountain sawmill of Japan. A horde of excess poets and unwed girls And I that night prowled Tokyo like a bear Tracking the human future Of intelligence and despair.””

Gary Snyder

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A surreal dream blends Japanese mill imagery, poetic excess, and Tokyo’s night, reflecting on humanity’s future of intelligence and despair.

In simple terms: Dream mixes history, poetry, future.

Key Takeaway

Contemplate humanity’s path amid chaos.

Themes

dreams culture future

Mood

mysterious melancholic

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

  • creative writing
  • art installations
  • philosophical debates

Key Concepts

existentialism poetic imagination

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the “excess poets” symbolize?
  • How does the setting influence the mood?
A Different Perspective

Interpretation may be too abstract for some.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Gary Snyder

Explore all 110 Gary Snyder quotes

More Dreams quotes

Browse all 40,599 Dreams quotes