This poem had no title in the 1855 edition, and was called "Night Poem" in 1856 and "Sleep-Chasings" in 1860. It was entitled "The Sleepers" in 1871. The changes in the title indicate a progressive change of direction in the meaning of the poem. The dominant symbolism of the poem is implied in the earlier title "Night Poem." Night is a rather common symbol for death; sleep implies death and, at the same time, the release of the soul through death. "Sleep-Chasings" indicate the technique of the poem. The poet identifies himself as merging with other beings and multitudes of beings and thus establishes a spiritual and psychological kinship with them. At first the images and the structure seem to be disorganized, but they have an underlying unity which emerges out of the stream-of-consciousness technique. The symbolism is not quite clear in the earlier sections but becomes more meaningful and explicit in the last two sections, especially in the last ten lines of the poem.
Structurally, this poem appears to be a technical innovation, though the theme seems elusive at first and the structure rather loose. The poet's vision or dream motif is the core of the structure and the apparent lack of organization reflects the quality of the dream itself. Thus the poem's structure, theme, and symbolism are brought into a cohesive and meaningful pattern. The last ten lines are marked by a religious tone and express the idea of reincarnation. The poem grows from a condition of sleep and of sleepers to a state of awakening and of wakers, from the time of night to the time of day. The structure of the poem shows the growth of the poet's consciousness and experience of the inner life.
