Sheniah Lanier Professor Clay ENG 360-01 02/17/2017 Poe and Longfellow: A Common Thread Edgar Allen Poe, a Boston writer with a penchant for the morbid and sorrowful, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, known as “the best-loved poet of his time”, were born just two years apart at the beginning of the nineteenth century (Lehman 41). Both literary figures, whose most notable works took on the narrative form, contributed to the canon of American verse with pieces that both reflected the circumstances of the time in which they were written and included universal principles with which today’s readers are still able to connect. While their works are distinct entities that can be fully appreciated individually, some poems share similar themes such as …show more content…
Longfellow’s poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride” tells the famous story of the titular character and his warning of the British invasion, and Poe’s “The Raven” tells the tale of a harrowing experience with a black bird who incessantly repeats the ominous word “Nevermore” (48). Longfellow’s story of Paul Revere comes before the author’s lifetime; however, while Poe’s tale seems to come from the relatively recent past. Despite this difference, both poets are effective in drawing the reader into their respective stories and invoking interest with descriptions of a valiant night ride and an unusual visit from a mysterious, almost supernatural creature. The narrative form is necessary for both of these poems, which are meant to convey a distinct set of consecutive events in a relatively chronological order, and the use of the lyric form might have caused the intentions of each to become too abstract. “Paul Revere’s Ride” uses a great deal of transitional phrases such as “meanwhile” and “then” (Longfellow 15, 24), and Poe also uses the latter to move from one related plot point to another (19). Dialogue between the Raven and the narrator as well as Revere and his friend, also characterize the narrative form of both