“Annabel Lee” (1849), Below, Poe Demonstrates His Use of Rhythm and Symbolism in It the Speaker Laments the Early Death of His Beautiful Young Wife
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English Language Literature II - LETRAS - Prof. Daniel Derrel Santee - 2010 AMERICAN Poetry and Romanticism The early 19th century marks the coexistence Due to their sensitivity, poets were seen as the and development of all genre of American literature. spokesmen of Romanticism, many of whom became A great part of this activity took place under the popular idols. The poet who best conformed to the wings of Romanticism. It was in this period that major image of the Romantic poet was Edgar Allan Poe, who American novelists and great poets made their was one the first major American poets as well as a appearance. celebrated writer of short stories. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) Poe's life was itself as odd as his music. Most of his poems were on themes poems and stories. His parents were such as the loss of a loved one, for example, theater actors, who died early when he the repetition of sounds reproduced weeping was very young. He attended many of someone deeply distressed. His themes schools and, towards the end of his usually concentrated on love, beauty, and school days, published two volumes of death, expressed with profound emotion. Due poetry. When he was 27, he married a to this expression his poetry has been 13 year-old cousin of his. She died criticized for being sentimental. eleven years later and he began to drink Poe’s poems capture the imagination heavily, ruining his health. He died not with their dark imagery and fascination with long thereafter. the macabre. Poe is also considered by many In his 40 years Poe contributed a as being the originator of the modern great deal to the growth of American detective story and as a pioneer in the field of literature. He was indeed the first mystery writing, Poe, however, thought of American poet of great significance. His himself first as a lyric poet, and published poetic skills were in rhyming and verbal poems and treatises on poetry In the poem, “Annabel Lee” (1849), below, Poe demonstrates his use of rhythm and symbolism in it the speaker laments the early death of his beautiful young wife. “Annabel Lee” It was many and many a year ago, The angels, not half so happy in heaven, In a kingdom by the sea, Went envying her and me—; That a maiden there lived whom you may know Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know, By the name of ANNABEL LEE; In this kingdom by the sea) And this maiden she lived with no other thought That the wind came out of the cloud, chilling Than to love and be loved by me. And killing my ANNABEL LEE. She was a child and I was a child, But our love it was stronger by far than the love In this kingdom by the sea; Of those who were older than we— But we loved with a love that was more than love— Of many far wiser than we— I and my ANNABEL LEE; And neither the angels in heaven above, With a love that the wingéd seraphs of heaven Nor the demons down under the sea, Coveted her and me. Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE. And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams A wind blew out of a cloud by night, Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE; Chilling my ANNABEL LEE; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes So that her highborn kinsman came Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE; And bore her away from me, And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side To shut her up in a sepulchre Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride, In this kingdom by the sea. In the sepulchre there by the sea, The short story, "The Cask of Amontillado", is a tale of horror, a classic example of the use of an unreliable narrator. Montresor tells his tale of revenge smugly, as he invites the reader to applaud his cleverness. By telling the story from Montresor's point of view, Poe forces the reader to look into the inner workings of a murderer's mind. THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO -- by Edgar Allan Poe (1846) THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but There were no attendants at home; they had absconded to make merry when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know in honour of the time. I had told them that I should not return until the the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that gave utterance to a morning, and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house. threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled -- These orders were sufficient, I well knew, to insure their immediate but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea disappearance, one and all, as soon as my back was turned. of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is I took from their sconces two flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato, unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally bowed him through several suites of rooms to the archway that led into unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him the vaults. I passed down a long and winding staircase, requesting him to who has done the wrong. be cautious as he followed. We came at length to the foot of the descent, It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given and stood together upon the damp ground of the catacombs of the Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my in to smile Montresors. in his face, and he did not perceive that my to smile now was at the The gait of my friend was unsteady, and the bells upon his cap jingled thought of his immolation. as he strode. He had a weak point --this Fortunato --although in other regards he was "The pipe," he said. a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the "It is farther on," said I; "but observe the white web-work which gleams most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity, to from these cavern walls." practise imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. In painting He turned towards me, and looked into my eves with two filmy orbs and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the that distilled the rheum of intoxication. matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially; --I was skilful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought "Nitre?" he asked, at length. largely whenever I could. "Nitre," I replied. "How long have you had that cough?" It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the "Ugh! ugh! ugh! --ugh! ugh! ugh! --ugh! ugh! ugh! --ugh! ugh! ugh! -- carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with ugh! ugh! ugh!" excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted My poor friend found it impossible to reply for many minutes. by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him that I thought I "It is nothing," he said, at last. should never have done wringing his hand. "Come," I said, with decision, "we will go back; your health is precious. I said to him --"My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. remarkably well you are looking to-day. But I have received a pipe of You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We will go back; you what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts." will be ill, and I cannot be responsible. Besides, there is Luchresi --" "How?" said he. "Amontillado, A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle "Enough," he said; "the cough's a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I of the carnival!" shall not die of a cough." "I have my doubts," I replied; "and I was silly enough to pay the full "True --true," I replied; "and, indeed, I had no intention of alarming you Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to unnecessarily --but you should use all proper caution. A draught of this be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain." Medoc will defend us from the damps. "Amontillado!" Here I knocked off the neck of a bottle which I drew from a long row of "I have my doubts." its fellows that lay upon the mould. "Amontillado!" "Drink," I said, presenting him the wine. "And I must satisfy them." He raised it to his lips with a leer. He paused and nodded to me familiarly, while his bells jingled. "Amontillado!" "I drink," he said, "to the buried that repose around us." "As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchresi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me --" "And I to your long life." "Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry." He again took my arm, and we proceeded.