What does A Dream of Spring mean?

[King Adrian Storm]

Many people interpret the meaning of this title in very different ways. Here are a few options I think it could mean?

1. TWOW will end with the long night beginning, and so from the beginning of this book the characters will already be overcome with the bad snows. It will be miserable for the characters, and leave them with a dream of spring. The book will span over YEARS to further the point of the title, and in the end, Spring will finally come. (My opinion)

2. Like the theory above the book will take place over the period of the long night, except the summer will never come and the term "dream" means it will never happen. It's just a wish for the characters.

3.We will never see the ending of the long night, and the end will be a big battle with all the characters joining together to fight the others. In this case the title would mean the ending is optimistic, and hints that eventually the long night will end, and summer will begin.

What do you think? Are there any other theories for what the title could mean?

[Rose of Red Lake]

I think the dream is rebirth of new kingdoms, that we won't see, we'll just see the survivors dreaming about what they'll do now that all their enemies are dead and they have been put in power. Of course this is about the Starks because it's a time for wolves.

[The Map Guy]

I believe A Dream of Spring means the citizens of Westeros are dreaming/praying for the real Spring, as the world is besieged by the events of the False Spring from 281 AC (R+L).

Also, A Dream of Spring ~ ADOS

ADOS may mean a deus ex machina

or

ADOS ~ a dios = [going] "to god" in Spanish (Highway to the Dragon Zone!)
ADOS ~ adios = "good bye" in Spanish ... it is our final ASOIAF book after all

or

A DOS may also mean GRRM's computer that keeps all the ASOIAF canon story

 

[Pontius Pilate]

2 hours ago, King Adrian Storm said:

Many people interpret the meaning of this title in very different ways. Here are a few options I think it could mean?

1. TWOW will end with the long night beginning, and so from the beginning of this book the characters will already be overcome with the bad snows. It will be miserable for the characters, and leave them with a dream of spring. The book will span over YEARS to further the point of the title, and in the end, Spring will finally come. (My opinion)

2. Like the theory above the book will take place over the period of the long night, except the summer will never come and the term "dream" means it will never happen. It's just a wish for the characters.

3.We will never see the ending of the long night, and the end will be a big battle with all the characters joining together to fight the others. In this case the title would mean the ending is optimistic, and hints that eventually the long night will end, and summer will begin.

What do you think? Are there any other theories for what the title could mean?

The title is a hint.  The book will end while the winter is about to end.  Yes.  The future will be somewhat optimistic but uncertain.  The Others and their human servants will be defeated and pushed back to the north.  The damage cannot be undone and most people and animals will have already died. 

The chapter will be one of two points of views.  Bran Stark or Daenerys Targaryen.  The survivors will already have a plan in place to rebuild.  Daenerys is the Mother.  Bran is the Builder.  It is very fitting to end the story with these two characters. 

The five people who were all originally to survive are Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, Bran Stark, Jon Snow, and Arya Stark.  I also believe those five will be standing at the end.  Supporting characters like Samwell, Jorah, Davos, and Missandei will live.  Jamie Lannister, Cersei, Brienne, Barristan, Margaery, Aegon, Hound, Stannis, and Sansa will be dead. 

[Darth Sidious]

I believe it should be a Dany POV.  The Starks will be in direwolf form by this time and living like a pack of wolves.  

[Springwatch]

Dreamers are important in the one. Greenseers, dragon dreamers, singers of the song of earth/ice/fire/whatever.

[Damon_Tor]

On 6/7/2020 at 8:48 AM, King Adrian Storm said:

Many people interpret the meaning of this title in very different ways. Here are a few options I think it could mean?

1. TWOW will end with the long night beginning, and so from the beginning of this book the characters will already be overcome with the bad snows. It will be miserable for the characters, and leave them with a dream of spring. The book will span over YEARS to further the point of the title, and in the end, Spring will finally come. (My opinion)

2. Like the theory above the book will take place over the period of the long night, except the summer will never come and the term "dream" means it will never happen. It's just a wish for the characters.

3.We will never see the ending of the long night, and the end will be a big battle with all the characters joining together to fight the others. In this case the title would mean the ending is optimistic, and hints that eventually the long night will end, and summer will begin.

What do you think? Are there any other theories for what the title could mean?

IMO, #2 is the closest.

At the end of ADoS the sun rises, barely pokes above the Southern horizon, then sets again. It's the last time any of our PoV characters see the sun. However, we're left with a full understanding of the prophecy and the knowledge that it is in fulfillment, something we (like our PoV characters) will never see, but we have faith will come. A dream.

But there is no big battle with the Others. That isn't the point, and GRRM doesn't write like that.

[Skahaz mo Kandaq]

21 hours ago, Pontius Pilate said:

The title is a hint.  The book will end while the winter is about to end.  Yes.  The future will be somewhat optimistic but uncertain.  The Others and their human servants will be defeated and pushed back to the north.  The damage cannot be undone and most people and animals will have already died. 

The chapter will be one of two points of views.  Bran Stark or Daenerys Targaryen.  The survivors will already have a plan in place to rebuild.  Daenerys is the Mother.  Bran is the Builder.  It is very fitting to end the story with these two characters. 

The five people who were all originally to survive are Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, Bran Stark, Jon Snow, and Arya Stark.  I also believe those five will be standing at the end.  Supporting characters like Samwell, Jorah, Davos, and Missandei will live.  Jamie Lannister, Cersei, Brienne, Barristan, Margaery, Aegon, Hound, Stannis, and Sansa will be dead. 

I agree

[Lady Anna]

For me it's a mix of numbers 2 and 3. I think the Others will be dealt with, however that may happen, but winter won't end then, so the characters will be 'dreaming' of the next coming of spring. Personally I'd like the last chapter to be a Bran pov, taking place in the future, or encompassing several years.

[King Adrian Storm]

I think a lot of people take the word "Dream" in the title too literally. It's the only title I've seen where fans take the title to be literal. Dance with Dragons, wasn't a literal dance.  A storm of swords wasn't a literal storm. I think the titles just supposed to be a statement about the characters desperation for peace.

[Van Gogh]

On 6/7/2020 at 3:02 PM, Pontius Pilate said:

The title is a hint.  The book will end while the winter is about to end.  Yes.  The future will be somewhat optimistic but uncertain.  The Others and their human servants will be defeated and pushed back to the north.  The damage cannot be undone and most people and animals will have already died. 

Yeah, we can't count on a definitive resolution at the end.  Expect a lot of open ends and vagueness.  Agreed.

On 6/7/2020 at 3:02 PM, Pontius Pilate said:

The chapter will be one of two points of views.  Bran Stark or Daenerys Targaryen.  The survivors will already have a plan in place to rebuild.  Daenerys is the Mother.  Bran is the Builder.  It is very fitting to end the story with these two characters. 

The final chapter should be a Dany or Bran point of view.  Agreed.  I would prefer Dany though.

On 6/7/2020 at 3:02 PM, Pontius Pilate said:

The five people who were all originally to survive are Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, Bran Stark, Jon Snow, and Arya Stark.  I also believe those five will be standing at the end.  Supporting characters like Samwell, Jorah, Davos, and Missandei will live.  Jamie Lannister, Cersei, Brienne, Barristan, Margaery, Aegon, Hound, Stannis, and Sansa will be dead. 

 

[Hodor the Articulate]

It means after TWOW we'll all be spending another decade dreaming about the release of the next book.

[Pontius Pilate]

On 6/8/2020 at 3:41 PM, King Adrian Storm said:

I think a lot of people take the word "Dream" in the title too literally. It's the only title I've seen where fans take the title to be literal. Dance with Dragons, wasn't a literal dance.  A storm of swords wasn't a literal storm. I think the titles just supposed to be a statement about the characters desperation for peace.

A Dance with Dragons is quite direct.  Wannabe players and revenge-minded suitors come to Slaver's Bay to court Queen Daenerys Targaryen.  A Storm of Swords is also direct.  A storm of battles and violence.  The titles are not the mystery.  A Dream of Spring is just that, the surviving characters anticipate the end of winter.  I do wish the very last POV chapter of the last book to be Dany's.  

[The Twink in the North]

I think it means the series is going to end in the middle of winter, with Spring a far off dream. That's what life often is. Your situation sucks, even our collective situation as a species sucks, but what we hang on to is the dream that someday things will get better. That we can weather the bad times and build a better future.