A.Owens

= = == Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. Poe’s parents, both professional actors, David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold, both died while Poe was a young boy. Poe was then adopted into the Allan’s family, where he went on to England and received a strong education and then continued his education back in America at the University of Virginia. He remained at the university for a short while before dropping out due to the excess of unpaid bills. Poe had a dark and depressed writing career. He lived and died like his morbid poetry.

"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; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsman came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me- Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we- Of many far wiser than we- And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride , In the sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea.  One of the many poems he wrote was entitled “Annabel Lee”. This poem talks about the love of his life and when he met her, they were still very young. The poem turns from a very happy piece to a dark and depressing piece of poetry. Even though she had died, he states, that they had a love like no other, and they would survive this and see each other again someday. Within this poem Edgar Allan Poe used rhythm and repetition of his loves name “Annabel Lee”. Apparently, I think this poem is about the love of his life that was cut short. At the beginning one can see his true heartfelt feelings he had for Annabel Lee. But then he states “To shut her up in a sepulcher” which is really depressing because a sepulcher is a tomb or grave and he seems mad at the angels that are not even half as happy as they were when they were together. It is also apparent with the use of his strong words and his love for her, that he does not think that she should be locked up, but able to roam free. He says “Can ever dissever my soul from the soul”, which means that no one can ever separate them, not even the angels from above nor the demons from below. He will always love her and he says at the end of the poem that he is sitting near her tomb near the sea, and still missing her.



Walt Whitman  Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 and was thought to be the person who revolutionized American poetry. A poet who loved the individuality in everyone, he wrote about different things from sights and sounds from the energy of everyday people. Walt Whitman taught for many years including country and small-town schools near Long Island. After teaching he served as a delegate to the Buffalo Free-Soil convention where he helped with the newspaper. Walt Whitman died in Camden on March 26, 1892 and was then buried in a mausoleum he had helped to design.

"Shut Not Your Doors"

Shut not your doors to me proud libraries, For that which was lacking on all your well-fill'd shelves, yet needed most, I bring, Forth from the war emerging, a book I have made, The words of my book nothing, the drift of it every thing, A book separate, not link'd with the rest nor felt by the intellect, But you ye untold latencies will thrill to every page.

In the poem, “Shut Not Your Doors”, Walt Whitman is talking to the libraries. He is talking to the libraries that maybe would not take his book and display it on their shelves. Even though it is a very short poem, Walt Whitman got his point across. He says “Forth from the war emerging, a book I have made, /The words of my book nothing, the drift of it every thing,” He says that even though your shelves are full, the library still does not have what I have made. The book he has written is unique all in its self because he has written it while on the front lines of war. He says the words are really nothing, but the “drift” of what he is saying is everything. This book he says is “separate” and not linked with any other author. Especially coming from the war, then I would think that his book would have a lot of information, and it really makes me wonder why the library would even shun that type of book. I personally think that this poem is short and simple and very clear to understand. The poem is simple with no rhyme and any kind of iambic pentameter, but just something more like a quick note rather than a poem. However there is repetition of the letter “f” throughout the entire poem.

"One's-Self I Sing"

One's-self I sing, a simple separate person, Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse.

Of physiology from top to toe I sing, Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse, I say the Form complete is worthier far, The Female equally with the Male I sing.

Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power, Cheerful, for freest action form'd under the laws divine, The Modern Man I sing.

In the poem, “One’s-Self I Sing”, Walt Whitman uses the repetition of the “S” sound with words such as “simple” and “separate”. He is “singing” a concern/problem to a mass of people. It is unclear whether or not people get the message he is singing. He says he does not judge by human characteristics or ones intelligence and females are equal too. In the second stanza he is saying we are all one and color, class, or differences do not make us different from one another. The message of the poem goes on to speak that we must live together as one. In the final stanza Walt Whitman is once again using alliteration, “passion, pulse, and power.” With this he is better instilling his message into our minds. “Cheerful, for freest action form’d under the laws divine,” which means that thought fighting for ones freedom and individuality, the greatest freedom is life. The use of the word “sing” reminds people of music and concerts where everyone is together and enjoying one thing that they ALL have in common. The same with his message here, he uses the word sing to paint a picture so to speak of what people should do by gathering and enjoying life together.

Anne Bradstreet  Anne Bradstreet was born in 1612. Much is not known of Bradstreet’s life, but that she lived a tough life. She suffered with diseases and was never really strong throughout her life. She shared her father’s Puritan beliefs and married young at the age of sixteen. When she was a young girl, she wrote poems to please her father. To me, much of her life was spent trying to do the “right” thing and keep her father happy. Nevertheless, she wrote very passionately about her life and her children and put this into her works.

"Before the Birth of One of Her Children" All things within this fading world hath end, Adversity doth still our joys attend; No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet, But with death's parting blow are sure to meet. The sentence past is most irrevocable, A common thing, yet oh, inevitable. How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend, How soon't may be thy lot to lose thy friend, We both are ignorant, yet love bids me These farewell lines to recommend to thee, That when the knot's untied that made us one, I may seem thine, who in effect am none. And if I see not half my days that's due, What nature would, God grant to yours and you; The many faults that well you know I have Let be interred in my oblivious grave; If any worth or virtue were in me, Let that live freshly in thy memory And when thou feel'st no grief, as I no harmes, Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms, And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains Look to my little babes, my dear remains. And if thou love thyself, or loved'st me, These O protect from stepdame's injury. And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse, With some sad sighs honor my absent hearse; And kiss this paper for thy dear love's sake, Who with salt tears this last farewell did take.

One of her works was “Before the Birth of One of Her Children”. In this poem she is telling her unborn child that death is a part of life, and even if we all love each other and get along, we must still bid farewell. She then goes on and tells of her own possible death because that since she was so weak during life, it was not uncommon for her to question her life during pregnancy. There is apparent rhyme and repetition in every two lines in the poem, with the last word. She says “We both are ignorant, yet love bids me” which is saying even though we have not met each other yet, I still love you and want to talk to you. She then goes on to instruct the child to watch over the other children, if she were to die. She did not want a step mother to come in and mistreat the children. Lastly, she talks of the tears she is shedding even while writing this poem. “And kiss this paper for thy love’s dear sake, /Who with salt tears this last farewell did take.” I personally like this poem because it shows that a mother and her unborn child are connected with a maternal bond at the very beginning and that when they first meet they have a better understanding of life with each other. This poem shows the distinct style that Bradstreet had and how eloquent and heartfelt she was in her works.



Emily Dickinson  Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was the second child in a very prominent family. She attended school at Amherst Academy from 1840 through 1846. Dickinson, unlike other poets, lived a life in a recluse, shut away in her room and just writing her poetry. She did, however, know what was going on in the world while stuffed away in her room. The reason why she shut herself away from the world is not really known, but many ponder that she was upset that her best friend married her brother. She loved her best friend more than anything and had real intimate feelings for her. This depression is reflected in her poetry. Dickinson died on May 15, 1886 after suffering from a kidney disorder.

"Hope" Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune--without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I've heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me.

Upon a first read of one of her poems entitled “Hope”, one would see that this poem is in fact talking about its title, hope. The biggest thing that Dickinson has used was a metaphor comparing hope to a bird, and where hope is but a thing. She gives hope feathers for movement. Dickinson is using imagery to animate hope and make it a bird, to instill it in our minds of what she is talking about. She says that hope perches in our soul (or hearts), “and sings the tunes…and never stops at all” which means that hope is there to stay and it is everlasting. The harmonious singing of the bird is the imagery Dickinson incorporated into the poem to show eternal hope which never ceases. She goes on to say that hope can only be destroyed by a storm, whether it is anger or negativity in others. She then says “I’ve heard it in the chilliest land, And on the strangest sea; which she is giving the readers “hope” to never give up, by giving readers a personal story. I personally think Dickinson is saying that everyone has a little hope in them and it never stops. It spreads everywhere and can be destroyed by storms everywhere but we cannot let it for hope is everlasting, and that hope is a free spirit and moves everywhere.