Few authors embody the genre of Gothic quite like Edgar Allan Poe. Thanks to his influence, it is inevitable that every October is filled with decorations of ravens quoting “nevermore”. While “The Raven” is certainly deserving of its fame, there are multiple other poems by Poe that are just as perfect to set the mood for Halloween festivities. Here are six poems by Edgar Allan Poe that deserve your attention this October!
1. “For Annie”
Thanks to the title of this poem, it would be easy to assume that “For Annie” is a sweet, romantic poem. It’s not, at least not in the beginning (and it’s up to interpretation at the end). With the very first stanza subverting expectations, and establishing the question of just how alive the narrator is, this poem is macabre enough to fit in at any Halloween setting.
At one point in my life I had quite a fascination with Edgar Allan Poe (some would say I am not yet past this). As such, I spent quite some time wondering if there are any works by him that are happy. After far too much effort, I found “Eulalie”. Likely inspired by his wife, Virginia, it’s almost hard to imagine that something so sweet could come from Poe.
Acting as a counterpart to “Eulalie”, “To My Mother” expresses tragedy and heartbreak in a poignant way. The poem was obviously created as an outlet for Poe’s feelings following Virginia’s death, going so far as to say her name. It also lacks the usual horrific edge that Poe likes to add to his tragedies, which allows his sorrow to show unchallenged in his words.
Back to a more familiar style for Poe, “Bridal Ballad” starts in a seemingly happy fashion (or, at least the narrator really tries to convince the reader it’s happy) and proceeds to a darker, supernatural place. In other words, this poem may not be showing up at any weddings, but it fits perfectly for a Corpse Bride themed Halloween party.
Have you ever seen the phrase, “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream”? It’s definitely the most famous quote from this poem and is widely used out of context. “A Dream within a Dream” is a classic example of Poe’s Gothic angst in a bite sized poem, easy to read but hard to forget.
Often considered the last complete poem that Poe wrote, “Annabel Lee “ is one of his best works. The poem has all of the elements that makes “The Raven” popular (a tragic love story, supernatural elements, and songlike writing), but at a much more manageable length. As beautiful as many of the lines are, perhaps hesitate before using this poem as a theme for a love story.
Though it’s not always obvious, quotes from Edgar Allan Poe can appear randomly and in unexpected places in everyday life. This October, take advantage of the great variety of spooky lines that can be found throughout his works, and have a happy Halloween!