Edna Rios
Professor DR.C Jason Smith
ENG 101
18 April 2010
Haunted Palace
by: Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
In the greenest of our valleys
By good angels tenanted,
Once a fair and stately palace—
Radiant palace—reared its head.
In the monarch Thought's dominion—
It stood there!
Never seraph spread a pinion
Over fabric half so fair!
Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
On its roof did float and flow,
(This—all this—was in the olden
Time long ago),
And every gentle air that dallied,
In that sweet day,
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
A winged odor went away.
Wanderers in that happy valley,
Through two luminous windows, saw
Spirits moving musically,
To a lute's well-tunëd law,
Bound about a throne where, sitting
(Porphyrogene!)
In state his glory well befitting,
The ruler of the realm was seen.
And all with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the fair palace door,
Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,
And sparkling evermore,
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
Was but to sing,
In voices of surpassing beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their king.
But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch's high estate.
(Ah, let us mourn!—for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him desolate !)
And round about his home the glory
That blushed and bloomed,
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed.
And travellers, now, within that valley,
Through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms, that move fantastically
To a discordant melody,
While, like a ghastly rapid river,
Through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever
And laugh—but smile no more.
Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809 and died October 7, 1849 at the age of 40.He was born in Boston Massachusetts,his parents names were Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and David Poe, Jr.His father abandoned their family in 1810 and then his mother whom in which dead afterwards he became an orphan.After his published poems in 1827 he began working on his literary journals.Edgar became known for his literary criticism.He wrote poems such as "The Raven","The Pen","The Haunted Palace"and much more.With all his literary works it caused him to move to Baltimore.While living in Baltimore in the year of 1835 Edgar married his 13 year old cousin named Sarah Elmira Royster .Two years later his wife dead from tuberculosis and following years later he did of an unknown death.
The poem " The Haunted Palace" by Edgar Allan Poe was written with every other or every third verse to rhyme.It consists of stanzas that are couplets.The rhyme scheme is A,b,A,b.Such as "Wanderers in that happy valley,Through two luminous windows, saw
Spirits moving musically,To a lute's well-tuned law,".Edgar poem do not have a constant rhythm throughout the poem but consist of 45 lines.
"The Haunted Palace" is taken place in a castle in a valley.The speaker is the king of the castle and whom which is deceased.The audience are the spirits that roam his castle.Each stanza describes the nature of the castle.How the surroundings look and in use of great details how he views the spirits and what has changed throughout the castle.It is being noticed a dark,evil,sorrow that roams the castle.The dark,evil,sorrow was what caused the kings death.It left the castle without a king and spirits that roam around the castle as they once did before the deaths.
Through out the poem Allan uses symbolism in different conformation."The Haunted Palace" used alliteration,simile and other forms of symbolism.Lines such as " Banners yellow,glorious,golden,on its roof did floot and flow"," while,like a ghostly rapid river,through the pale door a hideous throng rush out forever".He is using nature and objects to analysis as well as describe something dark and sad." The Haunted Palace" symbolizes death,and evil within a palace.In great details Allan uses symbolism to give the readers a visual imagine of the surrounding in which the poem is taken place in.
Tone is shows or expresses the attitude and presuppositions of the author.The poem "The Haunted Palace" by Edgar Allan Poem tone is very dark,gloomy,sad.If you continue throughout the poem you will notice it begins to give the reader a sense of beauty and life but later on the poem tone changes and becomes dark.The tone of it being positive while mentioning bright colors how the valley is at its greenest and and sweet the day is.Later within the poem he mentions death and spirits. " But evil things in robes of sorrow, assailed the monarach's high estate" the tone here is evil,as well as mysterious.The tone changes and gives a change of attitude to its readers.
Edgar Allan Poe wrote numerous poems and with "The Haunted Palace" he wrote in great details with symbolism,tone and in stanzas.Each verse may not rhyme but Allan gives the reader a great imagine of the poem and has a comparison with his life.He mentions beauty of a valley like in every beginning to a chapter in his life,then later ends in tragedy like when he got married then two years later his wife dies.Then his father leaves him and his family then his mom dies.Death has a place in his life and it seems as if he uses it in his poetry.
Resource:
Biography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe
"The Haunted Palace" by Edgar Allan Poe
http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/eapoe/bl-eapoe-haunted.htm
