I can't find anywhere on who Lenore actually was to Poe. I am under the impression that she was his lover, but I also know he was married to a different woman. Any help??

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

Answers

Karelin,

Actually, there were two poems that referenced a woman by the name of Lenore. The first was the poem "Lenore" and the second was his poem "The Raven".

The poem "Lenore" was written or at least first published in 1831 with the title "A Paean" and is probably not representative of any particular acquaintance of Poe's. However, significant revisions and improvements to the poem were made and by 1843 it was printed with its current title. By 1843, Poe and Virginia had been married about 6 or 7 years and the revisions may have had her in mind.

The Lenore in the "The Raven" is thought to be representative of his wife Virginia and may have been written in anticipation of his loss. Virginia died in January of 1847, two years after the poem was published. However, there is no suggestion in the poem that the narrator and his Lenore were ever married.

Both poems share a similar theme, the death of a beautiful and beloved woman, but each are widely varied in the way the loss is handled.

Regards,

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

Lenore was just a ficticious charecter, and the name was probably used because of what could be rhymed with it. Poe did not love lenore. The narator that he made up loved her.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

The fact of Lenore was that Lenore was his wife Virginia that died and he used the death for writing matirial.Soon Poe married his 15 yr.old cousin.

-- Anonymous, October 19, 2002

Yes the fact of Lenore is that it was the name of one of his wives, i cant remember if it was the name of his cousin, but im pretty sure it was

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2003