Though I must admit had I not been instructed to read a few passages from A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, a work of this nature would have taken its firm place closer to the bottom of the list of works of American literature I wanted to get acquainted with, for my initial impression of the book was that the significance of the 17th-century text would be derived rather from its historical value than conventional literary substance, nevertheless, I was delighted to be proven wrong. Personally, I was intrigued by Rowlandson’s mental attitude in the face of such dreadful events. This was the first time I had ever come across a clear description of what goes on in the brain of a person whose belief in God is absolutely unshakeable, and I imagine many people would benefit from reading this as much as I did …show more content…
I suppose it has always been customary for many ordinary readers to expect nothing but a potent sense of inescapable despair emanating from each and every line of Poe’s poetry. Though I am not personally in favour of such generalization, it is not uncommon for that to be the case. Figuratively speaking, Poe can easily satisfy a soul longing to be submerged in darkness, yet at first glance, Eldorado seems to offer solace should we choose to interpret the poem accordingly. Of course, one could argue that this idea of consolation stems purely from the fact that the poem does not explicitly state that Eldorado cannot be found, and the only thing keeping me from disillusionment is a missing stanza. Having said that, the solace I am clinging on to is by no means as satisfactory as it ought to be. The most likely resolution would imply that Eldorado can be found in or after death. Still, one must learn to look on the bright