- Eulalie
"Eulalie," or "Eulalie - A Song," is a poem by
Edgar Allan Poe , first published in the July 1845 issue of the "" and reprinted shortly thereafter in theAugust 9 ,1845 issue of the "Broadway Journal ".ummary
The poem is a bridal song about a man who overcomes his sadness by marrying the beautiful Eulalie. [Sova, Dawn B. "Edgar Allan Poe: A to Z". Checkmark Books, 2001.] The woman's love here has a transformative effect on the narrator, taking him from a "world of moan" to one of happiness. [Kennedy, J. Gerald. "Poe, 'Ligeia,' and the Problem of Dying Women" collected in "New Essays on Poe's Major Tales", edited by Kenneth Silverman. Cambridge University Press, 1993. p. 115. ISBN 0521422434]
Analysis
The poem utilizes Poe's frequent theme of "the death of a beautiful woman", which he considered to be "the most poetical topic in the world." [Poe, Edgar Allan. "
The Philosophy of Composition " (1846).] The use of this theme has often been suggested to be autobiographical by Poe critics and biographers, stemming from the repeated loss of women throughout Poe's life, including his motherEliza Poe and his foster mother Frances Allan. [Weekes, Karen. "Poe's feminine ideal," collected in "The Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allan Poe", edited by Kevin J. Hayes. Cambridge University Press, 2002. p. 149. ISBN 0521797276] If autobiographical, "Eulalie" may be referring to Poe's relationship with his wife Virginia. It seems to express that she lifted his spirits and washed away his feelings of loneliness. After Virginia's death in 1845, Poe scribbled on a manuscript copy of "Eulalie" acouplet , now known as "Deep in Earth." [Silverman, Kenneth. "Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance". New York City: Harper Perennial, 1991. ISBN 0060923318 p. 328] It is unclear if Poe intended this to be part of "Eulalie," an unfinished new poem, or just a personal note.The name Eulalie emphasizes the letter "
L ," a frequent device in Poe's female characters such as "Annabel Lee ," "Lenore ," and "Ulalume ." [Kopley, Richard and Kevin J. Hayes "Two verse masterworks: 'The Raven' and 'Ulalume'," as collected in "The Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allan Poe", edited by Kevin J. Hayes. Cambridge University Press, 2002. p. 200. ISBN 0521797276]Publication history
The poem was first published as "Eulalie - A Song" in the July 1845 issue of the "" - it was the only new poem Poe published that year. [Quinn, Arthur Hobson. "Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography". Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. p. 480. ISBN 0801857309]
ee also
*"Bridal Ballad"
*"Ulalume "References
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