Summary

"The Song of Orpheus," Chapter 1 begins with Orpheus asking his father, Dream, to help him interpret a dream. In the dream, he sees himself floating alone in a river, calling out his bride's name. Dream intervenes in his son's dream to wake Orpheus up for Orpheus' wedding day. Dream will not interpret the dream for his son, telling him dreams are a strange mix of the past or future, of hopes and fears. Dream exits, telling Orpheus he will see him at his wedding.

Aristaeus, Orpheus' friend, awakens Orpheus and tells him he was crying out in his sleep. Aristaeus tells Orpheus he was married once but his wife died. He says death is a part of life, foreshadowing events to come. The foreshadowing continues on their way to the wedding when Orpheus tells his friend that there will be...