Annabel Lee
Annabel Lee could either be a sweet love poem about two young lovers who are torn apart by death or it could be a poem written by a man who was totally obsessed with his dead lover. I am going to go with the latter, since this is Poe we're talking about.
I feel very sad reading this piece, because it plainly shows that the narrator is very sad and depressed about losing his Annabel Lee. They loved each other very much and when that loved ended by death it seems that the narrator just couldn't let go... which is a reoccurring theme in Poe's poetry. Beautiful woman dies, narrator can't let go. That's the gist of it, really. It's beautiful in it's sadness, though.
Ulalume
Ulalume is one poem I didn't think I would like. When we discussed it in class, however, it turns out to be a poem that I really love. Sometimes you need someone else to throw a fresh view on something to really see it and appreciate it.
Another poem about another beautiful dead woman, but the narrator in this piece is trying to get over her. He's trying to move on, but his subconscious won't let him. He's under the impression that he's just out for a walk with Psyche and it ends up that hey! He has walked down to Ulalume's tomb on the anniversary of her death. Of course, when one walks with Psyche one is actually walking with themselves. Deep down I think the narrator knew where he was going, but he didn't want to accept it. He let his subconscious guide him and when he realized what was going on, he accepted it.
This poem is haunting, and a little creepy when you get right down to it.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Week Two - The Raven, The Philosophy of Composition, and The Sleeper
The Raven
"The Raven" is one of my all time favorite poems. In high school (and in a Christian school, no less) I earned the nickname Raven because of my love for the poem. I love the imagery, the flow, and internal rhyming and the fact that this raven repeating one word over and over could drive a man even more mad than he was.
This poem touches me emotionally, as well. I lost my someone I loved very much at a young age. I was a mere 21 when the love of my life died. I myself have thrown myself into reading much like the narrator did to try to ignore this pain and loss. I find it a little scary that I relate so much to so many of Poe's poems. The fact of the matter is - I lost someone too and I know what Poe is trying to convey in some of his poems. I know that he was trying to work through the loss, and possibly understand it. Poe took a more melancholy and dark approach, but if that's what worked for him... more power to it!
The Philosophy of Composition
Ah, Poe seems to enjoy taking the piss with his essays. Poe seems to me to be one sarcastic little man that likes to antagonize people. He reminds me of my best friends in that respect.
In this particular essay Poe claims that he wrote "The Raven" in a certain way as to make it a perfect poem. Everything about the poem is deliberate and there for a reason. He also said that a poem should be written in one sitting, but as a poet myself I don't see how he wrote and revised and did all that work on "The Raven" in one sitting. It took me a few sittings to get one of my poems the way I wanted. But then again, all poets are different so perhaps he did manage to write "The Raven" in one sitting. It must have been one long sitting, though, as that is one long poem.
The Sleeper
Oh look, another poem about another dead beautiful woman! I love the first stanza and how it feels like the narrator is seemingly high. He sees the fog behind the moon and covering the land as opiate vapor; like the moon has just smoked and is letting her smoke just flow freely through out the valley. It's very beautiful.
The narrator of this poem is in denial at first that his beloved is dead. He notices things about her that he hasn't before (like how long her hair is, and that she is dressed differently) and by the last stanza he admits that she is dead and seems to accept it.
"The Raven" is one of my all time favorite poems. In high school (and in a Christian school, no less) I earned the nickname Raven because of my love for the poem. I love the imagery, the flow, and internal rhyming and the fact that this raven repeating one word over and over could drive a man even more mad than he was.
This poem touches me emotionally, as well. I lost my someone I loved very much at a young age. I was a mere 21 when the love of my life died. I myself have thrown myself into reading much like the narrator did to try to ignore this pain and loss. I find it a little scary that I relate so much to so many of Poe's poems. The fact of the matter is - I lost someone too and I know what Poe is trying to convey in some of his poems. I know that he was trying to work through the loss, and possibly understand it. Poe took a more melancholy and dark approach, but if that's what worked for him... more power to it!
The Philosophy of Composition
Ah, Poe seems to enjoy taking the piss with his essays. Poe seems to me to be one sarcastic little man that likes to antagonize people. He reminds me of my best friends in that respect.
In this particular essay Poe claims that he wrote "The Raven" in a certain way as to make it a perfect poem. Everything about the poem is deliberate and there for a reason. He also said that a poem should be written in one sitting, but as a poet myself I don't see how he wrote and revised and did all that work on "The Raven" in one sitting. It took me a few sittings to get one of my poems the way I wanted. But then again, all poets are different so perhaps he did manage to write "The Raven" in one sitting. It must have been one long sitting, though, as that is one long poem.
The Sleeper
Oh look, another poem about another dead beautiful woman! I love the first stanza and how it feels like the narrator is seemingly high. He sees the fog behind the moon and covering the land as opiate vapor; like the moon has just smoked and is letting her smoke just flow freely through out the valley. It's very beautiful.
The narrator of this poem is in denial at first that his beloved is dead. He notices things about her that he hasn't before (like how long her hair is, and that she is dressed differently) and by the last stanza he admits that she is dead and seems to accept it.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Week One - Letter to B---- and Lenore
Letter to B----.
I have to say, I am not as interested in Poe's essays as I am his poetry and stories. Letter to B---- is a letter to his publisher about non poets critiquing poetry. He seems to be sucking a little in the beginning when he says "This, according to your idea and mine of poetry, I feel to be false — the less poetical the critic, the less just the critique, and the converse." He wants B---- to know that they share the same idea and of poetry and therefore they are of the awesome together. Or maybe that's just me.
Poe has a hate on for Wordsworth and with due cause... the poetry he quotes is really quite atrocious. I don't think Poe should judge another writer so harshly though, as it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round. I do however like that Poe seemed to be quite the snob when it came to poetry (whether is was in sarcasm or not).
Lenore
Lenore is one of those poems I have read in my youth that has later become a poem that I can relate to. When you're young and reading Lenore you don't think that it could ever possibly relate to your life. You don't think that you're going to lose someone you love; everyone is immortal! How foolish we are when we're young.
Anyway, Lenore is a moving piece of work. The point of view changes between the stanzas and really conveys the emotions that the narrators are feeling. In the first stanza the priest is basically chastising Lenore's lover for not mourning her. The priest even calls the lover out for not shedding a tear. That was uncalled for I think because people mourn in different ways. It took me nearly a week to cry after we buried my Mark. Did it mean I didn't love him? No. Not only no, but hell no. It took time for everything to set in. But as we see in the next stanza Guy De Vere is not really mourning because he has some anger for the priest, and for the family of his beloved as well. De Vere believes that when Lenore first got sick that the priest didn't even try to help her; he just read her the last rites and went merrily on his way. They go back and forth discussing adamantly their own case to each other.
I really believe that in the last stanza De Vere is actually of the thought that he and Lenore will meet someday in the afterlife. He says that his heart is light, and that no dirge he will upraise; and I wonder why else would he feel like that? Because he knows that he will see her again.
I have to say, I am not as interested in Poe's essays as I am his poetry and stories. Letter to B---- is a letter to his publisher about non poets critiquing poetry. He seems to be sucking a little in the beginning when he says "This, according to your idea and mine of poetry, I feel to be false — the less poetical the critic, the less just the critique, and the converse." He wants B---- to know that they share the same idea and of poetry and therefore they are of the awesome together. Or maybe that's just me.
Poe has a hate on for Wordsworth and with due cause... the poetry he quotes is really quite atrocious. I don't think Poe should judge another writer so harshly though, as it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round. I do however like that Poe seemed to be quite the snob when it came to poetry (whether is was in sarcasm or not).
Lenore
Lenore is one of those poems I have read in my youth that has later become a poem that I can relate to. When you're young and reading Lenore you don't think that it could ever possibly relate to your life. You don't think that you're going to lose someone you love; everyone is immortal! How foolish we are when we're young.
Anyway, Lenore is a moving piece of work. The point of view changes between the stanzas and really conveys the emotions that the narrators are feeling. In the first stanza the priest is basically chastising Lenore's lover for not mourning her. The priest even calls the lover out for not shedding a tear. That was uncalled for I think because people mourn in different ways. It took me nearly a week to cry after we buried my Mark. Did it mean I didn't love him? No. Not only no, but hell no. It took time for everything to set in. But as we see in the next stanza Guy De Vere is not really mourning because he has some anger for the priest, and for the family of his beloved as well. De Vere believes that when Lenore first got sick that the priest didn't even try to help her; he just read her the last rites and went merrily on his way. They go back and forth discussing adamantly their own case to each other.
I really believe that in the last stanza De Vere is actually of the thought that he and Lenore will meet someday in the afterlife. He says that his heart is light, and that no dirge he will upraise; and I wonder why else would he feel like that? Because he knows that he will see her again.
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