Art Encounter #2 Poem by Poe

To My Mother

Because I feel that, in the Heavens above,
      The angels, whispering to one another,
    Can find, among their burning terms of love,
      None so devotional as that of "Mother,"
    Therefore by that dear name I long have called you-
      You who are more than mother unto me,
    And fill my heart of hearts, where Death installed you
      In setting my Virginia's spirit free.
    My mother- my own mother, who died early,
      Was but the mother of myself; but you
    Are mother to the one I loved so dearly,
      And thus are dearer than the mother I knew
    By that infinity with which my wife
      Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life.

     One of my personal favorite writers is Edgar Allan Poe. Poe has been known  as the 'master of the horror tale' and has been said to be the most 'unhappy' American poet. In my opinion, he has some of the best pieces I have ever read. For this blog, I decided to find a poem by Poe that I have never seen before, so I chose To My Mother. This poem was created in 1849 after the death of his wife in 1847. I was surprised I had never seen this poem because it has a strong voice. It ended up being looked down upon because of it's meaning, and did not get published in very many books. I enjoyed finding and reading this poem, and I am sure you will too.

SOUND: When reading the poem out loud, it contains a musical flow, and an obvious rhyme scheme. It follows as abab cdcd efef gg. It consists of end rhymes, and included the word 'you' many times to make it stand out. Unlike most of his other poem's, Poe does not really use alliteration or assonance in this poem.

FORM: This poem is clearly a sonnet based on the rhyme scheme stated above. It is also a lyric because it is pretty short.

MEANING: This poem was written to his aunt Maria, who was also his wife Virginia's mother. Poe married his first cousin when she was 13. Maria lived with Poe and Virginia their entire 12 years of marriage. In lines five and six, he is saying that she has always been a mother to him, and she meant even more to him than just a mother. In lines seven and eight, he speaks of Virginia's death, which was a very devastating issue for him. Poe is saying that Maria was more of a mother to him than his own mother because she was also the mother of his wife. He goes on to explain the difference between the two women in lines thirteen and fourteen, as if to clarify the reasoning why he loves her so much. A think a symbol that Poe uses is the word angel, which signifies beauty and perfection. He also makes the illusion of death to be happy and peaceful. The work of art's context is historical of the events in his life.

MY PERSON ENCOUNTER: The second that I read this poem, I knew it was the one I was going to write about. I am upset that a lot of people disregarded it because it is so deep and meaningful. Yet that is the basis for all of Poe's literature. This poem made me feel for Poe. Like a lot of his work, it is depressing. Poe lived a very lonely life full of traumatic experiences, and when I read this poem, I almost felt his pain. That is something only great writers can do. Many people have claimed they have broken down to this poem every time they read it because they can relate. Many people have different opinions for why Poe wrote about such sad things. My personal opinion is because many people he loved passed away, and he lived a life full of loneliness.

It is easy to see why Poe was such an amazing writer. His works may be dark, but they are also very meaningful. I hope you enjoyed this poem just as much as I did.