EDGAR ALLAN POE January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849 Romance A Valentine

1. EDGAR ALLAN POEJanuary 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849RomanceA Valentine

2. LIFE OF EDGAR ALLEN POE His father left his family early on and his mother passed away when he was only three. He was separated from his siblings so he went to live with John and Frances Allan, a successful tobacco merchant and his wife in Richmond, Virginia. His father left his family early on and his mother passed away when he was only three. He was separated from his siblings so he went to live with John and Frances Allan, a successful tobacco merchant and his wife in Richmond, Virginia. When he returned home, his neighbor and fiancée Elmira Royster had become engaged to someone else. Heartbroken and frustrated, he left the Allans. He published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems, in 1827, and he joined the army around this time. He wanted to go to West Point, a military academy, and won a spot there in 1830. Before going to West Point, he published a second collection, Al Aaraaf, Tamberlane, and Minor Poems in 1829. He excelled his studies but was kicked out after a year for his poor handling of his duties. After leaving the academy, he spent full time in his writing. He moved around in search of opportunity. From 1831 to 1835, he stayed in Baltimore with his aunt Maria Clemn and her daughter Virginia. His young cousin, Virginia became a literary inspiration and his love interest. They married in 1836. Poe then went to work for a magazine called Southern Literary Messenger in 1835. He published some of his own works in the magazine, including two parts of his only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. In the late 1830s, he published Tales of the Grosteque and Arabesque, a collection of stories. It contained several of his most spine-tingling tales, including “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “Ligeia” and “William Wilson.” Poe launched the new genre of detective fiction with 1841’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” He won a literary prize in 1843 for “The Gold Bug.” He became a literary sensation in 1845 with the publication of the poem “The Raven.” Poe was overcome with grief after the death of his beloved Virginia in 1847. He suffered from poor health and struggled financially. On October 3, Poe was found in Baltimore in great distress. He was taken to Washington College Hospital where he died on October 7. His last words were “Lord, help my poor soul.”

3. Romance Romance, who loves to nod and sing, With drowsy head and folded wing, Among the green leaves as they shake Far down within some shadowy lake, To me a painted paroquet Hath been- a most familiar bird- Taught me my alphabet to say- To lisp my very earliest word While in the wild wood I did lie, A child- with a most knowing eye. Of late, eternal Condor years So shake the very Heaven on high With tumult as they thunder by, I have no time for idle cares Through gazing on the unquiet sky. And when an hour with calmer wings Its down upon my spirit flings- That little time with lyre and rhyme To while away- forbidden things! My heart would feel to be a crime Unless it trembled with the strings. Edgar Allan Poe

4. Literary Analysis of A Romance • 'Romance' is a poem by American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is widely recognized as being one of the most important writers in the history of the horror genre. • 'Romance' is a poem of two verses, though it is sometimes printed with no verses at all. The first verse consists of ten lines, and the second verse is made up of eleven lines. The first verse relates to childhood, whereas the second verse focuses on the adult life of the subject in the poem.  • Secrets of Childhood  • Poe's poem 'Romance' is rich in imagery, and the first four lines give some hint of Poe's horror leanings. But, more than anything else, 'Romance' develops into a poem that is a reflective look at life. In the first verse, Poe gives the reader an insight into childhood. The reader is told that the subject in the poem was taught the alphabet by a "painted paroquet". The poet also reveals that, as a small child, the subject in the poem had a lisp.  • The intriguing final two lines of the first verse suggest that the child is becoming an adult: "While in the wild wood I did lie, / A child - with a most knowing eye." This could be interpreted as being a witness to a romantic liaison, or experiencing one for the first time.  • Later Years  • In the second verse of the poem, the child has become an adult and seems unhappy and even embittered, as underlined by: "I have no time for idle cares / Through gazing on the unquiet sky." The haunting "late, eternal Condor years" also infers that the second verse is more about a person nearer to the end of their life than to the beginning.  • More beautiful imagery surfaces in 'Romance' when Poe writes of the "lyre and rhyme / To while away - forbidden things!" The final two lines, though, are the most beautiful of all, as Edgar Allan Poe states that his heart has no option but to tremble "with the strings". • The poem begins with two rhyming couplets, but the rhyme schemes are varied throughout. Rhyming couplets are used again in 'Romance', and Poe also uses hyphens to accentuate descriptions in the poem. There is a contrast of beautiful imagery and realism, and it was a poem written while Poe was a very young man. This poem reflects the tumultuous feelings often experienced at that age. 

5. A Valentine • For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,Brightly expressive as the twins of Leda,Shall find her own sweet name, that nestling liesUpon the page, enwrapped from every reader.Search narrowly the lines!- they hold a treasureDivine- a talisman- an amuletThat must be worn at heart. Search well the measure-The words- the syllables! Do not forgetThe trivialest point, or you may lose your laborAnd yet there is in this no Gordian knotWhich one might not undo without a sabre,If one could merely comprehend the plot.Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peeringEyes scintillating soul, there lie perdusThree eloquent words oft uttered in the hearingOf poets, by poets- as the name is a poet's, too,Its letters, although naturally lyingLike the knight Pinto- Mendez Ferdinando-Still form a synonym for Truth- Cease trying!You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do.

6. Literary Analysis of A Valentine • This is a lyrical poem, written in the form of acrostic. Other than a poem, “A Valentine” is actually a riddle that Poe made to reveal his secret lover. Edgar Allen Poe composed “A Valentine” to express his affection for a woman, but he’s too afraid to directly tell her because she’s already married. The subject matter is about Poe’s challenge for the readers, to solve the riddle within this poem. Through the puzzle that the writer gives out to the reader, he also blends in the implication for his lover’s beauty. Poe’s love for this woman is a secret affair. He can only express it in discreet, through the meaning of this poem, because it is wrongful to be infatuated with a married woman. The theme of this poem is about a woman’s magnificence to a man when he’s falling in love, and the mysteriousness of this secret love they’re having. Poe wrote this poem under his personal context of being in love, in a secret love affair. The historical context of “A Valentine” is in the 1846, so it is evident that the language used is formal. The tone applied for this poem is very romantic, when refer to the woman and stimulating, in terms of the mystery for the reader. The writing purpose of Poe is to stimulate the readers with an interesting puzzle about his lover. The regular rhyme scheme of this poem is ABAB CDCD, but sometimes the pattern change unexpectedly due to the appearance of an odd line with no rhyme. • The riddle is the dominant feature of this poem, that’s the main factor that makes this poem so ingenious. Not only does it express the romantic words of the writer, Edgar Allen Poe also composed a hidden riddle within “A Valentine”. If you take the first letter from the first line, the second letter from the second line, the third letter from the third line, and so on until the end, the riddle of this poem will be revealed. The name of the woman who Poe is crazed about exists in every line throughout the whole poem, Frances Sargent Osgood. She was another great poetess who shares her secret affair with Poe through poems. • An array of literary devices is used in “A Valentine”. Simile can be found in the first two lines:“For her this rhyme…twins of Leda”. This comparison illustrates this woman’s gorgeousness, almost as beautiful as a girl named Leda, a character from “Leda and the Swan”. The writer wants to notify the readers that through “Shall find her own sweet name, that nestling lies”, the name of his lover can be found within the huddling lines “lies” of this poem. “A Valentine” contains a lot of metaphors. The line “Search narrowly the lines!- they hold a treasure” has one. This is a hint from the writer for the readers to find his beloved’s name in this poem, implying her name being the treasure. The line “And yet there is in this no Gordian knot” contains another metaphor.  It is used to imply an intractable problem, solved by a bold stroke. So it literally means there is no hard problem in solving a riddle of this poem.“Of poets, by poets- as the name is a poet’s, too”. The repetition of the word “poet” gives a hint to the readers that this woman, which is the solution to the riddle, is also a poet. Another simile, merged with personification can be found in “Its letters, although naturally lying. Like the knight Pinto- Mendez Ferdinando” The effect of this skilful combination of literary devices is to give the letters which represents the answer of this riddle more power, as mighty as the knight Pinto. It is also evident to notify that his choice of vocabulary and language style is very impressive throughout the whole poem, “Eyes scintillating soul”, “Gordian knot”, “Cease trying”… • This is one of the profound love poems of the great Edgar Allen Poe. It is certainly a masterpiece that can still remain its prolonged existence. Not only is this piece romantic and beautiful in the illustration of Poe’s lover, but it’s also clever in the hidden riddle that the writer challenges is the readers. Poe’s purpose stated very clear through the descriptions: to reveal his secret love with Frances Sargent Osgood. He has used his own uniquewriting style and many literary devices to transfer perfectly the significance of this love, acrostic poem. • do.

7. Comparison Both the “Romance” and “AValentine” were works of Edgar Allan Poe that expressed the theme of love. Both of these poems are allusions to his past loves throughout his life. The two poems basically symbolize the same thing but from two different views, in “Romance” it is a broader view of romance in his life however “A Valentine” is focused on one women.

8. Definition By Damon Chen Infinite in mystery is the answer to life you don't have the time to do everything but you shouldn't sit and do nothing could you become the dew that quenches the land? and create an everlasting image Or will you endure torment to find the end of your journey living in a universe that abhors you and I

9. Broken Glass By Benjamin Wong All we are is broken glass Thrown to the floor we were never meant to last And all we are are empty shells Try to pick us up you're gonna cut yourself We fought to rule the worldNot knowing just how fragile we really were Like it was the first day of the rest of our lives Then the bricks began to fall And we can see the cracks along the wall  We didn't know it couldn't go on forever

10. The Traveler By Shonel Rahim Searching for something none will ever know, Throughout his life he will travel, For something he may never know, Throughout his travels from all he learns,from all his experiences,it still may not be enough, The Traveler travels for the mystery of himself, For one day he may find out, Who the traveler is.

11. Hero by Quinn Tassin Not all heroes are super Heroes are those They do not all wear capes Who fight for what they know They are not invincible And no matter the price They can be scraped Never say no Heroes are those Who do what they can To strive to become A better man Heroes don’t fly Or have super strength They don’t run like a train Or jump a mile’s length

12. WORKS CITED • ""Edgar Allan Poe Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 05 June 2013. http://www.biography.com/people/edgar-allan-poe- 9443160 • "Louie's Blog." Louies Blog. N.p., 4 Dec. 2009. Web. 07 June 2013. < <http://louieduy.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/a-valentine-of-edgar-allen- poe-analysis/> • Poe, Edgar Allan. "A Valentine." N.p., 31 Dec. 2002. Web. 7 June 2013. < <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-valentine/> • Rance, Paul. "Poetry Analysis: Romance, by Edgar Allan Poe." Helium. Helium, 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 07 < June 2013. <http://www.helium.com/items/2259276-poetry-analysis-romance-by- edgar-allan-< poe>.