The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

This chapter is one of the most poignant and beautifully written I have ever read in any book.

First of all, the image of the worried and lonely father sitting by the water waiting for his son just broke my heart. The part that really gave me chills though, was when Pan appeared before Rat and Mole with the baby otter in his arms. Those moments before they see Pan are so vividly described and the scene I see in my mind as I read it is incredible. I wish that I was artistically inclined so that I could at least try to represent this scene visually. I don't know how one goes about trying to write and create such a powerful moment but Grahame did wonderfully. I was kind of scared when Pan had Portly in His arms that he was dead...thankfully, he was just sleeping. As I was reading it I tried to imagine what a child would think of this part of the book. Would they be scared? Would they think it comforting? I suppose it depends partially on religious beliefs and the age of the child, but I still wonder.

There was a huge emphasis on music throughout the story but especially in this chapter. The melody that Rat and Mole hear entraps them almost. It reminded me of the Sirens in the Odyssey but there the Siren was a trap and here, while Rat and Mole both admit that they are scared, they are also so at peace and the experience is a good one, albeit short lived since they forget it all almost immediately. I found that one of Pink Floyd's albums is named after the chapter, and Van Morrison's 1997 album "The Healing Game" there is a song called "Piper at the Gates of Dawn." I don't have that album so I can't listen to the song, but I listened to the sample and it's very soothing. Here are the lyrics:

The coolness of the riverbank, and the whispering of the reeds
Daybreak is not so very far away

Enchanted and spellbound, in the silence they lingered
And rowed the boat as the light grew steadily strong
And the birds were silent, as they listened for the heavenly music
And the river played the song

The wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn
The wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn

The song dream happened and the cloven hoofed piper
Played in that holy ground where they felt the awe and wonder
And they all were unafraid of the great god Pan

And the wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn
The wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn

When the vision vanished they heard a choir of birds singing
In the heavenly silence between the trance and the reeds
And they stood upon the lawn and listened to the silence

Of the wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn
The wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn
The wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn

It's the wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn
The wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn
The wind in the willows and the piper at the gates of dawn

Fun stuff huh? I look forward to listening to other reactions to this book and especially this chapter. :O)