Antonio Machado's "Last Night As I Was Sleeping" in a literal sense, is a poem
             depicting one man's dreams throughout the night. However, upon a closer examination
             of the literature, one will find the poem to be more an expression of the deeper current of
             life, often only experienced at night through one's own dreams. Furthermore, the poem
             hopes to awaken the reader to this current in hopes of bringing about a change in the way
             we view reality. Metaphor, imagery and repeated themes are used throughout the poem
             with the ultimate intent of awakening the human spirit to itself.
             Where do we go when we sleep, and for what purpose do we sleep? This is the
             illustrious idea posed by "Last Night As I Was Sleeping." Antonio Machado suggests
             that perhaps our true life is that of the one experienced in our unconscious state of sleep.
             Machado uses metaphors and symbols to reveal the experiences of the dreams to that of
             the conscious life. The first stanza speaks of "a spring (that) was breaking out in my
             heart..." (3-4). This "water of life" is not literally the leakage of water from one's heart,
             but instead a traditional metaphor for the rebirth and baptism into a new life. This water
             is washing away old habitual doubt and fears that have gathered over a lifetime, so that
             we can be reborn into life. The "secret aqueduct" (5) which carries the water suggests
             that the spring is not in your own heart, but is carried there by some unknown source
             (God). The second and third stanzas repeat these metaphors between dreams and life.
             The second stanza is particularly hopeful with its symbolism and metaphor towards the
             bees. Lines 11-16 are very powerful, and almost break open an entirely new way of
             ...