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"Eulalie", or "Eulalie — A Song", is a poem by
"Eulalie", or "Eulalie — A Song", is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
, first published in the July 1845 issue of '' The American Review'' and reprinted shortly thereafter in the August 9, 1845 issue of the ''Broadway Journal
The ''Broadway Journal'' was a short-lived New York City-based newspaper founded by Charles Frederick Briggs and John Bisco in 1844 and was published from January 1845 to January 1846. In its first year, the publication was bought by Edgar Allan ...
''.
Summary
The poem is a bridal song about a man who overcomes his sadness by marrying the beautiful Eulalie. The woman's love here has a transformative effect on the narrator, taking him from a "world of moan" to one of happiness.Analysis
The poem uses Poe's frequent theme of " the death of a beautiful woman," which he considered to be "the most poetical topic in the world." 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 mother Eliza Poe and his foster mother Frances Allan. If autobiographical, "Eulalie" may be referring to Poe's relationship with his wifeVirginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. It seems to express that she lifted his spirits and washed away his feelings of loneliness. After Virginia's death in 1847, Poe scribbled on a manuscript copy of "Eulalie" a couplet
In poetry, a couplet ( ) or distich ( ) is a pair of successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (closed) couplet, each of the two lines is end-stopped, implying that there ...
, now known as " Deep in Earth". 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".
Publication history
The poem was first published as "Eulalie — A Song" in the July 1845 issue of the '' American Review'' — 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. other than "The Raven
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a visit ...
".
See also
*" Bridal Ballad" *" Ulalume" *Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
This article lists all known poems by American author and critic Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849), listed alphabetically with the date of their authorship in parentheses.
An Acrostic (1829)
An unpublished 9-line poem writ ...
References
External links
* * * {{Edgar Allan Poe 1845 poems Poetry by Edgar Allan Poe Works originally published in The American Review: A Whig Journal