The Premature Burial

The greatest “Dark Romantics” used their agony, insanity, and melancholia to produce priceless pieces of literature that evoked and touched the darkest crevices of a reader’s soul and allowed one to create their own perspective over these dark themes. Edgar Allan Poe, one of the most acclaimed writers of all time (and a Dark Romantic) was a master of creating an overcast of feelings for his readers through his work. One of Poe’s most common themes that has settled his identity of a Dark Romantic is death. In the essay, “The Premature Burial”, Poe says, “The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?” This theme of death is also widely spread out through his famous

“The Raven” is essentially the lyrical narrative of a man who essentially goes insane after asking a Raven about the whereabouts of his lost loved one, Lenore. Poe showcases his masterful skills of being able to create an eerie ambiance and mood through his style in “The Raven”. Poe’s writing style exemplifies that of someone who who’s articulation and manner of structuring the poem adds more to the theme of death in the poem more than the literal meaning of his words. His attention to detail in making sure a set form rhyme pattern is set throughout the poem, or his use of dashes in between lines to add space and tone only show his intention of creating a perfectly written poem that allows readers to change their perspective of the ominous Raven every single time they read it. Poe’s tone in the poem is whimsical on a darker note because of its eccentric vocabulary. Such words and phrases are “nepenthe” and “balm of Gilead”. Nepenthe was a potion used to induce deep sleeping and forgetfulness, and was used by Poe when he wrote, “Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!” The speaker clearly wanted to forget