On October 7, 1849 Edgar Allan Poe passed away mysteriously. A few days previous he was found, drunk, basically passed out in a gutter in Baltimore, MD. Following his death, his works became increasingly popular and admired. The most famous being "The Raven" published in January of 1845. Most people don't read much beyond "The Raven" and a few of his most famous short stories. All of his work is impressively beautiful in their individual ways, and here are some more poems to read in addition to "The Raven" this October.
1. "Alone" (1829)
"Alone" (published in 1829) by Edgar Allan Poe is a great way to introduce him. This goes into how he felt as a child (alone and stereotypically "not like the other boys") and shows that his childhood was the beginning to his stormy life. Knowing his loss and how sad he was is important when reading this poem. He has lost so many important people, so his feeling alone is completely justified and it's a great piece.
2. "Annabel Lee" (1849)
As the last finished poem penned by Poe, it's a depressing one. "Annabel Lee" is a poem about the speaker's lover, Annabel Lee, who died. Some believe the poem is about Poe's late wife, Virginia, but it's disputed many times. There are similarities since Virginia died very soon after their marriage, and they knew each other as children (much like the speaker and Annabel Lee). It's sad, but a great read.
This was probably their relationship while Annabel Lee was alive.
3. "A Dream Within A Dream" (1849)
"A Dream Within A Dream" is sort of a mind fuck. It's basically Poe trying to mess with us, reminding us that everything we believe in reality is actually relative. Is life really what we perceive it to be? Or is it just an illusion? Read to make your own decision!
4. "Eldorado" (1848)
Eldorado is a story of an adventure. Poe is searching for Eldorado, but it's not a place. Eldorado is the adventure, the journey. Anyone can find Eldorado, you only need to be willing to search for it.
5. "A Dream" (1827)
What are dreams, really? Daydreams, dreams at night... why do we have them? Poe questions what dreams are best, and what dreams are really nightmares. Read for yourself to decide!
6. "Evening Star" (1827)
In this poem, the stars represent the good in his life and the moon represents the bad. All the stars seem cold and idstant, but there is one in the distance that gives him fire and desire. The moon is the first thing he notices in his life, but he knows that there will be good when he reaches the star.
7. "Song" (1827)
This ballad-style poem is about the speaker's former lover. She's getting married, but despite her happiness she still feels shame for losing the speaker's love. It is thought that this poem is based off Poe's first love, Sarah Royster, who broke off their engagement and married a richer man.
8. "The Lake: To --" (1827)
The Lake is a perfect spot for both beauty and isolation. It's where Poe can go to escape the world. The "terror" isn't necessarily fear, here. The peace of isolation also comes with self-discover, which can be pretty terrifying sometimes! However, we all move forward. Poe believes that this place is peaceful and isolated enough where it would be the perfect place to "move forward" with his life, or die.
9. "Romance" (1829)
As most of Poe's work is about death, this is by far my favorite of his poems. Poetry is Poe's romance. Most of his work was written in secret, as his step-father did not approve of it. Most of his poetry was written when he was feeling a lot of emotion, which was typically when he lost a loved one. As a child, he could love. As an adult, he cannot love anymore in fear of losing more people. The only thing Poe has that will never change is his writing.
But, you know, if you really like "The Raven" you should totally read that and love every second of it.
