what is the meaning of these sentences?

[princehamlet]

And though the persons who did haunt that dream Live on, they shall by distance dwindled, seem No bigger than the smallest ear of corn. That cowers at the passing of a bird.
And silent shall they seem, out of earshot.

[Dreamwoven]

Seeds are very small, and silent. The wind does not rustle through them as it does in the tree that each seed grows to be.

[Pompey Bum]

Even though those (troublesome?) people are still alive, they aren't going to matter once they are no longer nearby.

[Eiseabhal]

The word "haunt" has in, in English, connotations of a disturbing presence as well as of constant presence and/ or visions of an spectral weird nature. So perhaps the general idea here is that time puts a distance between you and unpleasant events to the extent that these things are diminished and less frightening, less significant

[princehamlet]

Hi Pompey,
in the above quote "they " refer to whom, "the persons" or "that dreams"? and also who seems no bigger than the smallest ear of corn, the persons or dreams? and who shall seams silent?

[Pompey Bum]

It's all "the persons."

[princehamlet]

thanks

[princehamlet]

Hi, Pompey, thanks for your response please tell me m,ore about the following part of the same quote:

. . . And silent shall they seem, out of earshot, those voices that could jar, Those voices that could jar, while we
gaze back From rosy caves upon the hill-brow open, And ask ourselves if what we see is not A picture merely, — if dusty, dingy lives
Continue there to choke themselves with malice.


1- which voices? the voices of persons? or the voices that could bother the persons?
2- themselves refers to who?

[Pompey Bum]

1- which voices? the voices of persons? or the voices that could bother the persons?

Persons, but not "we." It means the persons who are not near enough to bother us.


2- themselves refers to who?

The dusty, dingy lives (of the persons who are not near enough to bother us).

[princehamlet]

Hi Pompey,
is this paraphrase correct?
Even though the persons who cause that bad dream are still alive, they (the person who caused that dream) shall (due to distance) become weak and unable (smallest ear of corn) to make trouble and become silent so their voices no longer could jar. and whether their (the person who caused bad dream) dusty and dingy lives chock themselves)

[Pompey Bum]

You've got the idea of the earlier part now, but "while we gaze back from rosy caves upon the hill-brow open, and ask ourselves if what we see is not a picture merely, — if dusty, dingy lives continue there to choke themselves with malice" means: while we, from our unbothered position ["from rosy caves upon the hill-brow open"], wonder if things can really be so nice ["if what we see is not a picture merely"], or if those nasty people's dirty lives are still choking themselves with malice. (Malice means the will to do evil or harm).

[princehamlet]

thank you so much

[Pompey Bum]

You're welcome. Good luck! :)