Edgar Allan Poe Namely, the Raven, Annabel

¶ … Edgar Allan Poe namely, The Raven, Annabel Lee and the Spirit of the Dead. This paper compares the themes and tones of the three poems. This paper also lays emphasis on some events that took place in the poet's life and eventually drove him into writing such poetry. The paper also reviews the conditions, which lead to the death of a great poet, Edgar Allan Poe.

Analysis of Poems by Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allen Poe, an American writer, is one of the well renowned poets of all times. Even though he died a long time ago his poems and short stories are still read with a lot of interest. He describes his poems with the most resplendent of imagination and vocabulary. Poe, a great poet and a critic is famous as the first master of the short story form, especially tales of the mysterious and macabre (Edgar Allan Poe, Encarta Encyclopedia ©

Encarta Encyclopedia ©

1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation). Even though after his death his literary work was questioned and debated upon, many American and European writers owe him a lot of credit for being their inspirational writer.

Poe has written a number of poems in his life time and about twelve of his poems are well-known for their impeccable literary composition and for their haunting themes. It is without a question that the poems of Edgar Allan Poe apprehended the imaginativeness of its audience with their mystical imagery and fascination. According to some writers and poets who say, that even though Poe is widely known and credited as the originator of the modern detective story and as a pioneer in the field of mystery writing, he thought of himself first as a lyric poet, and published poems and treatises on poetry (Edgar Allan Poe, Encarta Encyclopedia ©

Encarta Encyclopedia ©

1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation).

While producing his work, Edgar Allan Poe functioned primarily as a book reviewer and was successful in generating a number of criticisms in his essays. If read, it would be found that his essays are a true picture of derision, drollery and presentation of literary pretensions.

Even though Poe was a poet by his own choice, but need for finance turned him into writing short stories. It is not certain that whether Poe originated short stories or not but it is certain that he instigated the novel of detection. The Gold Bug published in 1843, The Murder in the Rue Morgue published in 1841, The Mystery of Marie Roget published in 1843 and The Purloined Letter published in 1844 are some of his honorary works in the sector of story writing.

Amongst his poems The Raven published in 1845, Annabel Lee published in 1849 and The Spirits of the Dead published in 1827 are enchanting and mesmerizing. The basic theme of all these three poems is Death. In The Raven, the despondency and the portent of death dismay the audience whereas Annabel Lee and The Spirit of the Dead are verses on the expression of sorrow on the death of a beautiful young woman and contact between man and spirits respectively. All these three poems illustrate Poe's usage of rhythm and symbolism.

Edgar Allan Poe in The Raven is overcome by the bird raven which is symbolized with death. This poem dirges on the poet's defunct wife. In the poem the narrator seeks consolation from a giant bird whose only utterance is the dismal Nevermore. He asks the bird many questions about his long lost love, the exceptional and luminous maiden whom the angels name Lenore but the only response that he hears is nevermore. He inquires about his love solely with the intention of further torturing himself. Throughout the poem The Raven, Poe makes a personal, introverted hell strangely mesmerizing poem to all (The Raven, EdLibrary).

This poem represents the sad conditions and losses of Poe's life. It is said that Poe's The Raven and his life were just as sad and eccentric. After the abandonment of his father and the disturbing death of his mother, Poe was admitted into an orphanage. John Allan, a wealthy tobacco merchant, later adopted him. Poe's relationship with John Allan was not profound and it remained that way until the death of John Allan. The only person at that time who truly cared for Poe was his mother, John Allan's wife. John's will left him nothing but he was struck by greater calamities after the death of his mother. The burden of all the debts as a result of gambling came upon the shoulders of Poe. Poe was driven into greater despair when he had to turn in an early resignation from the University of Virginia. The greatest of all the blows came when his most beloved wife, Virginia Clemn died from the same disease as his mother. It is said that, "The tragedies in Poe's life are reflected in his poem, The Raven, and can be predominately seen through the comparison between the loss of his wife, and the narrators loss of Lenore. The apparent tone in Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven seemingly represents a very painful condition of mind, an intellect sensitive to madness and the abyss of melancholy brought upon by the death of a beloved lady" (Carl MacGowan, The Raven By Edgar Allan Poe).

The audience becomes well aware of Poe's true tone of melancholy by the coupling problems in The Raven and the repetitive verse spoken by the raven. Poe's grief for the loss of his wife can be very well comprehended by the narrator's anguish for the loss of Lenore. After the death of Virginia, Poe involved himself into drinking in order to quench his pain for his beloved wife. In the poem, the narrator constantly ponders whether he will see his wife after death. From both these conditions i.e. Poe obsession with drinking and narrator asking the raven about seeing his wife again parallelism can be depicted.

The raven tells the narrator that he will never see his wife again.

Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.

Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he hath sent thee

Respite - respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Edgar Allan Poe. Encarta Encyclopedia ©

Encarta Encyclopedia ©

1993-2002

Microsoft Corporation).

The frequent drinking of alcohol lead to the taunting of Poe into incessant despondency and eventually resulted in his demise. Just as alcohol derived Poe into a further stage of devastation, the raven reveals the narrator's utmost fear and terror of never his wife ever again. The continuos use of some words in The Raven by the raven reflects the depressing tone in the poem. In the poem it is important that the answers to the questions are already known, to illustrate the self-torture to which the narrator endures (Carl MacGowan, The Raven By Edgar Allan Poe). The use of Nevermore in the poem signifies the dispirited and blue state of the mind. A phrase is used in Poe's The Raven, which impresses upon the growing tone of melancholy. This phrase accomplishes its significance via its building of cognizance of the inevitable. Knowing that the raven will answer the narrator's entire questions with the word Nevermore, the narrator further inquires about his lost love with the purpose of torturing himself even more. He says,

Prophet! Said I, "thing of evil! Prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Edgar Allan Poe. Encarta Encyclopedia ©

Encarta Encyclopedia ©

1993-2002

Microsoft Corporation).

Through this poem Edgar Allan Poe makes his personal world of sorrow and terror enjoyable for all those who read it. The poem very well accomplishes its task of drawing its audience into the circle of insanity through Poe's terrorizing description, mind-boggling comparison between his life and the poem, and frightful continuation of the depressing tone.

In the next poem called Annabel Lee the narrator speaks of the early death of his beautiful young wife. Both the poems Annabel Lee and The Raven are similar in the sense that both talks about lost love. After reading the poems Annabel Lee and The Raven the audience observes that the tone and the theme of both poems is similar but the mourning style and the loss of these women differ.

Annabel Lee begins by an introduction of a beautiful woman named Annabel Lee who lives with her lover in a beautiful kingdom by the sea. Both are referred to as children and just like children they are innocent and not bothered by the worldly concerns. Their love is describes as so pure that it associates them with heavenly couple. The scenario of the poem given by Poe gives an impression of innocence, youth, naivete' and freshness. The poem relates that Annabel Lee is not only beautiful and inculpable but she also possesses the quality of a human who is unselfish, faithful and capable of a higher order of love, qualities associated with the angels in heaven (An Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee, (http://vlc.atu.edu/engl1023/2002-fall/Mortal%20Love%20or%20Divine%20Communica).In the poem, Poe has shown that Annabel Lee is greatly loved and admired by her lover.

She was a child and I was A child,

In this kingdom by the sea;

But we loved with a love that was more than love- and my Annabel Lee

With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

Edgar Allan Poe. Encarta Encyclopedia ©

Encarta Encyclopedia ©

1993-2002

Microsoft Corporation).

Both shared a love that was stronger than any earthly bond. It was not just strong affection but a love, a union that could be enjoyed by angels.

Till this point in the poetry the audience is only acquainted with the sweet romance between the lover and his beloved. After this the audience once again encounters Poe's madness and reinspects the part played by all the characters in the narrative.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea, wind blew out of the cold by night,

Chilling my Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

Edgar Allan Poe. Encarta Encyclopedia ©

Encarta Encyclopedia ©

1993-2002

Microsoft Corporation).

Poe associates the angels, who are generally known for their goodness and virtue with, envy and evil. Here the angels are referred to as kinsmen who come down to earth and take her away from her lover leaving behind her physical body to be buried in the tomb situated in the kingdom by the sea. At this point the reader comprehend a very strange notion that Annabel Lee herself was once an angel; an angel who came on earth and acquired a physical humanly body after she fell in love with a mortal. She is loved by her faithful lover and is very happy. Upon seeing this, all the other angels in the heaven become jealous of her state of euphoria and send down a chilling wind, which results in the death of her physical body. These angels then come down and bury Annabel's body in a tomb.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went envying her and me -;

Yes! - that was the reason (as all men know,

In the kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud, chilling

And killing my Annabel Lee.

Edgar Allan Poe. Encarta Encyclopedia ©

Encarta Encyclopedia ©

1993-2002

Microsoft Corporation).

Even though Annabel's body has died and her union broken with her lover, but her lover still professes his great love to her and proclaims it heavenly to the entire world. Her lover says that even though she is not here with him in front of his eyes, her love and her memories, which no force can take away, will never die in his heart. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God An Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee, (http://vlc.atu.edu/engl1023/2002fall/Mortal%20Love%20or%20Divine%20Communica).

Poe has used the angels as a source that separates Annabel Lee from her lover and to dissuade man from loving God.

The audience towards the end of the poem realizes that Annabel played an intermediary role between man and God. Even though her existence has ceased to exist, her lover still feels her close to her heart and refers to her as his darling, his life and his bride. The angels can never cause the death of Annabel from her lover's heart.

But our Love it was stronger by far than love

Of those who were older than we

Of many far wiser than we

And neither the angels in the heaven above,

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

Edgar Allan Poe. Encarta Encyclopedia ©

Encarta Encyclopedia ©

1993-2002

Microsoft Corporation).

In the last part of the poem, Poe seems to give a message to the audience; Annabel Lee's soul still reaches to her lover metaphorically through the moon and the stars. Here a comparison is made between love and moon and stars; that exactly like how these heavenly bodies are unchanging and never dying love also never cease to exist. Through this, Annabel and her lover become successful in vanquishing death, distance, time and all the powers that separates them from each other.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise but I fell the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night - tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling - my darling - my life and my bride,

In the sepulchre there by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Edgar Allan Poe. Encarta Encyclopedia ©

Encarta Encyclopedia ©

1993-2002

Microsoft Corporation).

Even though the poem starts with a romantic description of the couple and then gradually becomes haunting, it once again shows Edgar Allan Poe's state of despair and melancholy. The poem is successful in revealing his obsession with lost love and death. Hence, the theme of Annabel Lee and The Raven is the same in the sense that both deals with lost love. Even though Annabel Lee is not as haunting as The Raven, it is found to be very dark and disturbing and not generally liked by many readers. From both these poems it can be assessed how disturbed Poe's life must have been and what trauma he lived in each day.

In the third poem written by Edgar Allan Poe called The Spirit of The Dead, the poet once again discusses the terrorizing fact of life, death. All of Poe's poems are based upon this theme and the tone in all of them is haunting. Any reader can very well understand that Edgar Allan Poe was a lonely man. The Spirit of the Dead is divided into five parts of different length. The following five lines in the poem give the haunting thought and idea of the poem,

Be silent in that solitude,

Which is not loneliness - for then The spirits of the dead, who stood

In the life before thee, are again

In death around thee, and their will

Shall overshadow thee; be still The Spirits of the Dead, (http://www.jeannepasero.com/spirits.html).

In the poem, Poe reflects an idea that spirits were always linked to his soul and the presence of these spirits is silent and still. This notion of stillness, silence and haunting forms the major part of all Poe's poems. The poem seems to reflect no message but only torture for the poet as he visits the grave and the spirits visit him, both colliding into one another in silence.

What the poem and the poet have in common in this poem is memories. These memories are revoked as the poet visits the graves. Memories themselves are like dreams of the past, a ghost that always lingers around every human being. These memories are obsessing and oppressing.

Now are thoughts thou shalt not banish,

Now are visions ne'er to vanish;

From thy spirit shall they pass

No more, like dew-drop from the grass.

Spirits of the Dead, (http://www.jeannepasero.com/spirits.html).

About Poe's poetry it is said that in all his poems he has shown a dual attitude, from ease, the poem's scenario turn into terror, from where there is no escape and no compromises can be made. Poe's poems are like a glass through which only darkness and hurt can be seen, which formed the reality of his life.

Hence, all of Edgar Allan Poe's poems show the uneasiness of his soul. The basic theme in all of them is estrangement, childhood naivete, death, hopelessness and the great losses involved in love. A writer, DH Lawrence once wrote that, "Poe was an adventurer into the vaults and cellars and horrible underground passages of the human soul. He sounded the horror and the warning of his own doom" (Work Of Edgar Allan Poe: Conclusion, Edgar Allan Poe). His poems are a complete scripture of his life and the pain he endured after loosing his mother and wife. But no matter how haunting or terrorizing these poems might prove to be they definitely reflect Poe's brilliance and honesty in writing.

The tones of all these poems show portray a dark supernatural vision mixed with the elements of authenticity, caricature and travesty. The main reason for this is the instability and insecurity of relations that Poe experienced in his lifetime. The technique, which Poe used, was very much imitated in the late nineteenth century. His use of symbols and images to suggest rather than state the complex of ideas and emotions that he wanted to communicate is far closer to modern poetry than to the poets that immediately followed him. His influence can be seen in the movement known as imagism, which flowered in England in the early twentieth century and which, emphasized the purely pictorial in poetry (Work Of Edgar Allan Poe: Conclusion, Edgar Allan Poe).

Poe believed that unusualness was an essential ingredient that composed beauty. The characters in these three poems show that they are greatly hid behind darkness, terror of death and the real world of colors and hope. In the poems a sign of hope is no where to be found. A message that death is a part of life and time heals all wounds is invisible in all the three poems. Theme of death conquering life and lost hope is spread in the poems. The Gothic environment and the domain between life and death are not simply decorative. The characters all proclaim to be brave and show their terribly disturbed soul.