The Power of Myth and Imagination

Where it surfaces

• The Death of Pan

  The travellers' belief in Pan's death is overturned by the maidens' laughter, which revives the god and reaffirms the enduring power of myth.

• The Hen

  The hen's mundane journey is transformed into a grand narrative through her description, contrasting with the swallows' actual epic migration.

• The Prayer of the Flowers

  Pan's mythical presence and his reassurance from Arcady invoke the power of imagination to transcend industrial reality.

• The Unpasturable Fields

  Pegasus, a mythical creature, gallops and browses on song in the clouds' fields, symbolizing the enduring power of imagination over physical permanence.

• The Worm and the Angel

  The Homeric line endures for three thousand years, resisting the worm's destruction.

• The Giant Poppy

  The poet's ancient tune and the mention of saving Agamemnon highlight the enduring power of myth and art to resist oblivion.

• The Dream of King Karna-Vootra

  The dream itself and the vivid, fantastical descriptions of Istrakhan and other lands illustrate the power of imagination and myth.

• The Storm

  The ship's survival and transformation are attributed to having the gods on board, emphasizing the power of belief and myth.

• Alone the Immortals

  The journey to the valley of dead years is achieved through 'ways of dream,' and the immortal years are depicted as mythic colossi.

• The Return of Song

  The dream-vision of Valhalla and the cosmic cycle of worlds underscores the imaginative power of myth.

• How the Enemy Came to Thlūnrāna

  The prophecy of Thlūnrāna's doom and the mysterious, supernatural atmosphere underscore the power of myth and imagination.

• Taking Up Picadilly

  The mundane act of roadwork transforms into a gateway to a starry underworld, highlighting the imaginative power beneath everyday reality.

• After the Fire

  The chapter concludes that humanity's greatest achievement was its dreams, emphasizing the transcendent power of imagination over physical monuments.

• The Sphinx in Thebes (Massachusetts)

  The sphinx, a mythical creature, is brought into a modern materialistic world, demonstrating the enduring and disruptive power of ancient myth.

• The Trouble in Leafy Green Street

  The woman's belief in the idol's power to change her mood reflects the theme of myth and imagination shaping reality.

• Lobster Salad

  The dream world is treated as real and consequential, with the narrator's life at stake and a pin from the waking world serving as the means of escape.

• Compromise

  The citizens' belief in their own immortality and the earthquake's initial hesitation due to potential divinity highlight the power of myth.

• The Tomb of Pan

  Despite the people's attempt to declare Pan dead and entomb him, the god's living presence and laughter affirm the enduring power of myth.