In Youth Poem

Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “In Youth I have known one” is the title of the poem that will be literarily analyzed. Much like many of Edgar Allen Poe’s style of poetry and other works the author had written in the past, this poem is very introspective and really makes the reader think about the deeper meaning of his works. Poe like many great writers and poets struggled and his struggles help bring out the emotions and feelings in his work. The analysis will include elements of symbolism, imagery, theme. It will also include a brief biographical history of his upbringing as an orphan, to include Poe’s education at The University of Virginia along with a line by line break down of each verse in the poem, followed by a conclusion of my thought

The person that is talked about in this poem seems to feel a sense of regret for things he has or has not done during their life stemming from the fact the person personified in this poem seems to really know themselves. Other emotions/feelings that can be felt are feelings of insecurity and possibly hopelessness. The possibility exists that the person mentioned in this poetry is not confident in the choices they have made and feels impossibly hopeless to the outcome of their decisions. Finally, the idea of needing companionship can also be interpreted and felt whether in a physical sense or more so literally in a spiritual sense within this poem
“This poem is one of the most difficult Poe ever wrote; the explanation by Wilbur (Poe, p. 122) may be synopsized. In youth the author communed with nature, especially the sun and stars, but did not understand the “power” (1-8). He questions if it be madness (9-10) — but believes it is visionary (11-16). Intuitively he finds profound meaning in common things (17-24), Beauty, foreshadowing Heaven, draws him by the grace of God away from a fall threatened by his pride

The first stanza refers to paths of our lives or the journeys we will take to get where we currently are in life. The preceding second stanza talks of showing us the dreams we aspire to reach and the procession of our progress towards goals in our lives. The verses that Poe writes concerning GOD seem to be referring to people whom walk a path without GOD, tend to lose their own path in their lives without Him as a guiding part of it. The fourth verse speaks of a person’s passions and aspirations they hold most dear to them. The words of the fifth verse, “By not faith alone” speak to me in terms of telling the reader to not only obtain your faith in not only yourself but also with your faith in GOD. The assumed person the poem seems to be referring to seems to have worn down his own energy/faith and after striven for so long in life, he becomes emotionally and mentally drained/unwell or “beaten down” as written in the poem. Curiously, Poe never truly reveals the person that the poem is centered around during the four stanzas that make up this