Critical+Analysis

Amy Guo Salamone Honors English 9 1AC 12 April 2012 The Dawn of a Stormy Life  The poem “’Alone’” by Edgar Allan Poe is a biographical piece revealing and explaining the solitude Poe felt as a child. His personal experiences convey the feeling of being alone and set the context for this poem. These include his cheerful recollections of nature’s beauty, but they are also comprised of the hostile relationship with his step-father and the social disconnection from his peers. Although this poem describes the feeling of loneliness to the extremes specifically to Poe’s life, everybody can relate to the feeling of being alone in at least one aspect.

 The poem begins, “From childhood’s hour I have not been / As others were” (Poe 1). This clearly states that being different and unique from his environment is deeply rooted in his childhood. Poe adds, “I could not bring / My passions from a common spring— / From the same source I could not awaken / My heart to joy at the same tone— / And all I lov’d—//I// lov’d alone—” (Poe 3-8). He wants to convey the fact that he was radically different from the others, and therefore he could not connect with them on an emotional level. This led to him feeling ostracized and lonesome because he could not relate to his peers. He reinforces this by saying, “From childhood’s hour I have not been / As others were—I have not seen / As others saw—” (1-3). Poe recognizes the fact that he is not like the others and does not perceive things in the same way as they do. Being this unalike from all of his surroundings was one reason for feeling so alone, but this was not the sole reason for his solitude.

 Another highly significant dynamic in Poe’s life that caused him to feel this way was his distance with John Allan, his step-father. In the last line of his poem, a cloud that takes the form of a demon is mentioned being in Poe’s view. Because he describes Heaven, which represents the sky, as blue and cloudless, it can be inferred that this cloud is not a cloud at all, but somebody moving into his perspective. Since the cloud is described as a demon, it is widely accepted to be Poe’s step-father because of the hostile relationship they shared during Poe’s childhood. When Poe was growing up, he and his step-father had many arguments concerning money, mostly due to Poe’s unfortunate addiction to gambling. His step-father had to continually supply him with more money to get him out of debt. Poe’s step-father had also constantly reprimanded him for not taking responsibility over the consequences of his actions, such as gambling, alcohol, and womanizing. This led to him having a distant relationship with who was supposed to be his father figure.

 When Poe says, “From the lightning in the sky / As it pass’d me flying by— / From the thunder, and the storm— / And the cloud that took form / (When the rest of Heaven was blue) / Of a demon in my view—” he means that his step-father moved above him to block his view while he was observing nature (17-22). In other words, Poe’s step-father was forcing him to stop wasting time staring at the scenery and start paying more attention to the harsh realities of his many problems. Furthermore, Poe’s step-mother had passed away and left him alone to deal with his step-father. This added distance between Poe and his step-father which essentially detached him from his family. Having no healthy, loving relationship with his own family led to him feeling even more isolated and lonely.

 Added onto his family issues, Poe also had uncertainty about himself. He did not know why he was so eccentric compared to the other people around him during his childhood, nor did find out as an adult. When Poe says, “//Then//— in my childhood— in the dawn / Of a most stormy life— was drawn,” he explains that all of his peculiarities began from when he was a child and led him to have a rough, difficult life (9-10).Continuing after that, Poe says, “The mystery which binds me still—” which represents his persistent confusion about himself well into his adult years (12). Not only is he disconnected from others by his quirks, but he is also detached from himself by the obscurity of his accentuated individuality. This mystery is still trapping and haunting him years later.

 All of these different elements compiled together create the feeling of seclusion from others that Poe suffered through his whole life. Being isolated from his colleagues, family, and even from himself, he felt closed off from the rest of society and very much beside himself with loneliness. The fact that his solitude is derived from many diverse but important reasons is also true for people in present day society. Poe explains that the factors that go into making up human emotions are so much greater than one simple explanation. They are drawn from our insecurities, our families, and the web of social connections that every human weaves.

Alicia Chen Mrs. Salamone Honors English 9 1AC 28 March 2012 The Maze of the Heart <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;"> In his poem “The Raven”, Edgar Allan Poe spins an ominous tale about the power of loss. The narrator, who tells the story in first person, is sitting in his bedroom late at night, contemplating the loss of his lover Lenore. Suddenly, a raven flies into his room and perches above his door. Strangely enough, the bird can speak a single word: “Nevermore.” He questions the raven about Lenore, asking if he’ll see her in heaven. To every question the raven replies, “Nevermore.” Becoming very upset, he screams and yells at the bird, ordering it to leave. The last stanza of the poem reveals that the raven is still sitting there, and that the narrator’s soul will never escape its shadow. By crafting this dark story, Poe shows readers how sorrow is like a dark hole that is trapping, beyond rational thought, and happens suddenly and unexpectedly. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;"> Poe shows how thoughts and memories can sneak up, capturing one by surprise and changing everything in an instant. When the narrator first meets the bird, he is cheered up and considers it a blessing. He describes the raven as “this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling” (Poe 44). He also says, “For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being / Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—…With such a name as ‘Nevermore’ (Poe 51-52, 54). The speaker feels encouraged and happy that this bird has paid him a visit. This is juxtaposed against his thoughts after he is reminded of Lenore’s death. In stanza 13 Poe writes: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">…I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;"> //She// shall press, ah nevermore! (Poe 75-78) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Reminded of his loss, he calls the bird a wretch and becomes angry at it (Poe 81). “‘Prophet!’ said I, ‘thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!” (Poe 85). The bird he first describes as a blessing is now seen as an evil prophet. This sudden change is brought about because of the grief that crashes in on him. He says to the raven, “‘Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore; / Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!’” (Poe 82-83). Quaff means to drink heartily and nepenthe is a drug from a plant thought to make one forget sorrow. He is pleading for relief from the memories of Lenore. The man who was glad to meet the raven comes to view it as a curse because he suddenly remembers his pain and sorrow. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;"> This sorrow and suffering is often beyond conventional wisdom and normal thinking. In the beginning of the poem, the speaker has rational thoughts and common sense. In stanza seven the speaker describes the raven’s entrance: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Open here I flung the shutter, when with many a flirt and flutter, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore; <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door— <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;"> Perched, and sat, and nothing more. (Poe 37-38, 41-42) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">The raven lands on top of the bust of Pallas, or Athena. Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom. The raven landing over it symbolizes and perhaps foreshadows how sorrow’s thoughts and feelings can transcend conventional wisdom. In the first half of the poem, the narrator retains common sense. After the raven says “Nevermore” the second time, he reacts normally. “‘Doubtless,’ said I, ‘what it utters is its only stock and store / Caught from some unhappy master…” (Poe 63-64). He assumes that the bird has been trained to speak the one word. However, after he’s reminded of Lenore’s absence, he starts to react differently. He says, “Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer / Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor” (Poe 79-80). The invisible incense and the angels walking on the floor were most likely just the products of the narrator’s imagination. This change was caused by him being reminded of Lenore. In stanza 16 he goes on to question the raven: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore— <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.’ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.” (Poe 93-96). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">The narrator takes the answer very seriously, going on to call the bird a fiend and shrieking at it to leave him alone (Poe 97). Even though the raven’s word makes sense in reply to what the narrator said, rational thought would lead one to the conclusion that the bird has no higher intellect and is simply saying a single word over and over again, with no meaning in relation to anything else. Poe shows that the narrator is going beyond common sense. This is happening because the narrator is being blinded by his suffering and pain for Lenore. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;"> Furthermore, the sorrow of loss is like a trap that one falls into and never escapes. The narrator almost single handedly brings pain and insanity upon himself. The raven does little more than having uncanny timing. As the narration escalates, one can see that the speaker is going deeper and deeper into the maze of his heart, until the last lines reveal that he will never find his way out: “And the lamp-light o’er him [The Raven] streaming throws his shadow on the floor; / And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted—nevermore!” (Poe 106-108). This shows that the narrator will never be freed from the shadow of suffering and depression that the raven has brought him. The narrator has been trapped by his own snare of sorrow. He begs the raven, “Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!’ / Quoth the Raven ‘Nevermore’” (Poe 101-102). This line shows that the speaker will always carry the wounds of pain and loss forever. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;"> In telling his story of mourning and grief, Poe crafts the writing to create an ominous and dark tone. Poe uses repetition to add effect and tension to the piece. In stanza 14 he writes, “Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore; / Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!” (Poe 82-83). Because of the repetition of the words respite, nepenthe, and quaff, readers can feel the agony and desperation in the narrator’s voice. Furthermore, the repetition of the line “Quoth the Raven ‘Nevermore.’” unites the poem as a whole. Poe also repeats the “ore” sound to add unity and a mysterious tone. He uses the words lore, door, more, floor, Lenore, evermore, before, implore, explore, yore, wore, shore, bore, outpour, store, core, o’er, ashore, adore, and nevermore. Complex rhyming patterns are also used create togetherness within the stanzas. Generally, the first and third lines of each stanza have internal rhyme, the fourth and fifth lines end in the same word, and the second, fourth, fifth and sixth lines end in the “ore” sound. Alliteration is also used for effect and unison: “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, / Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;” (Poe 25-26). These lines repeat the “d” sound, tying them together and increasing the effect on the reader. In addition, Poe unites the first and second half of the poem through foreshadowing. The first stanza says, “‘’Tis some visiter,’ I muttered, ‘tapping at my chamber door— / Only this and nothing more.’” (Poe 5-6). The last line hints to readers that the tapping is indeed something more than just a visitor. Whether it is through foreshadowing, alliteration, rhyming or repetition, Poe masterfully creates a poem that conveys his story of sorrow effectively. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;"> Poe’s tale is more than just a horror story. It’s a story of the ache and anguish that comes with the death of a loved one. Poe shows that sorrow comes suddenly, it drives one crazy, and, in the worst cases, holds one in its grip forever. Perhaps based on the death of his own wife, Poe reveals the dark side of humanity where tragedy sends us hurtling into the mazes of our own hearts.