Hey everybody! This is the second question I am posting. I am doing a project on Poe and the women in his life and how they affected his life/writings. I was wondering if anyone could give me a few of the poems/ stories that had direct/indirect relations to the women in his life? Quotes or locations of information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2003

Answers

In a rush here so e-mail me if you want more.

Poems that deal with the ideal woman, more a disembodied "Beatrice" than even Dante's Beatrice. "The Raven" "Lenore" "Ulalume" "To Helen" "Annabel Lee"that relate to dead or lost women in his life such as Mrs. Stanard(a boyhood friend and mentor) Royster(a broken engagement) and Virginia(his dead wife). All of his best poems are thus universalized into mythic symbols and are no more biographical than Dante or Yeats in using real women as springboards to great poetry.

Other poems, sentimental direct addresses to real live women are less idealized. Valentines, gratitude poems to caretakers and friends. The bridge being poems like "To Annie" Annie Richmond and the second "To Helen" (Sarah Whitman) that soar beyond the personal mainly because they deal powerfully(as the other poems) with the strong inner state of the poet- not the object of his affections.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2003

Couple of other works- Short story "Ligeia"(one of his last works) was written about the death of Edgar's mother, Mrs. Allan, Jane Stanford(Stannard?) and Virginia each of whom died in the same lingering way and seemed to Edgar to be a resurrection of her predecessor only to re-enact her predecessor's death. Virginia also inspired the child bride in the short story "Eleonora"

Poem-"To my Mother" tribute to Frances Allan.

-- Anonymous, October 09, 2004