Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most popular horror and mystery writers of all time. His work during the 19th century defined the genres and is still read by readers young and old to this day. His life was filled with tragedy, much of which inspired his dark stories of loss, madness, illness, and death. Read more about Edgar Allan Poe.
Some of Poe’s most famous poems include The Raven, Annabel Lee, A Dream within a Dream, and Lenore.
‘The Raven’ is commonly considered to be Edgar Allan Poe’s poetic masterpiece. It details a harrowing night in the speaker’s life that includes incessant knocking and a talking raven that only says one word–“Nevermore.”
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
‘Annabel Lee’ by Edgar Allan Poe is a lyrical narrative ballad about a man who is haunted by his lost lover, Annabel Lee.
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
‘A Pæan’ describes the feelings experienced by a husband as he views his dead wife and his desire to sing a “pæan” rather than a “requiem.”
How shall the burial rite be read?
The solemn song be sung ?
The requiem for the loveliest dead,
That ever died so young?
‘A Dream’ by Edgar Allan Poe describes a speaker’s waking and dreaming state and the brief moments of light and hope he experiences.
Published in 1849, ‘A Dream Within a Dream’ by Edgar Allan Poe examines the subtleties of time and perspective.
Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow —
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
‘A Valentine’ throws a challenge to the readers in the guise of a meticulously formed poem. This poem hints at the name of Edgar Allan Poe’s platonic lover.
‘Alone’ by Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates the poet’s best verse. Here, the tormented mind of the literary genius is unveiled and readers get a glimpse into his abrupt and troubled life.
‘An Acrostic’ by Edgar Allan Poe is a poem resembling the format of an acrostic. An acrostic is a type
‘Dream-Land’ by Edgar Allan Poe is a five-stanza poem that is separated into uneven sets of lines. The first stanza
‘Eldorado’ is thought to be one of Edgar Allan Poe’s final poems. It was published in 1849 in Flag of
Edgar Allan Poe dedicated this poem, ‘For Annie’, to his Platonic friend Nancy Locke Heywood with whom he had a strong but complicated relationship. Through this poem, Poe expresses his gratitude for the lady.
‘Lenore’ is a haunting poem in which Edgar Allan Poe speaks on themes of mourning and loss. He explores true sorrow and what it looks like.
‘Lines on Ale’ by Edgar Allan Poe is believed by some to have been written in 1848 at a tavern
‘Romance‘ by Edgar Allan Poe was written as a preface in his second collection of poetry “Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and
‘Sonnet—To Science’ by Edgar Allan Poe contains a speaker’s view on the damage science has done to the arts, particularly the art of poetry.
‘Spirits of the Dead’ by Edgar Allan Poe is a beautiful poem that describes life and death. Specifically, the poet dwells on what it means to move from one world to the next.
‘The Bells’ by Edgar Allan Poe is a musical poem. In it, the poet depicts the various sounds bells make and the events they symbolize.
‘The City in the Sea’ was published in its final form in 1845. An earlier version of the poem was
‘The Haunted Palace’ by Edgar Allan Poe describes, through the metaphor of a palace, the physical affects of depression on the human mind.
The first version of ‘To Helen’ was published in 1831 in Poe’s volume, Poems. It was reprinted and revised over
‘To My Mother’ by Edgar Allan Poe is a thoughtful poem that addresses the poet’s personal losses, such as the death of his biological mother, and what high esteem he now holds mothers in.
‘To One in Paradise’ describes one speaker’s deep depression, and now dull prospects, over the loss of his dearest friend and lover.
support@poemanalysis.com
Poem Solutions Limited, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom
