DREAM-LAND (Page 22)
Published in 1844 and 1845. The poem paints another of Poe's extraordinary landscapes.
3. Eidolon: phantom, specter, shade.
6. ultimate dim Thule. "Thule" was used by the ancients to indicate extreme northern regions; the Romans used the phrase "Ultima Thule" to denote the most remote, unknown land. What does the allusion signify here?
THE RAVEN (Page 24)
Published in 1845 in various magazines, first in the New York Evening Mirror of January 29. This is the most famous if not the best of Poe's poems. There is a clear thread of narrative and greater dramatic interest than in any other of the author's poems. If possible, read "The Philosophy of Composition," in which Poe gives a remarkable account of the composition of this poem, an account which is to be accepted, however, as explaining only the mechanical side of the work. This essay is included in Cody's "Best Poems and Essays" (see Bibliography, page xxxi). Read the comment in the Introduction, page xxiv. Note the numerous alliterations.
34. thereat is. Was the idea phrased this way for any other purpose than to make a rhyme? Is it artistic?
38. Raven. Read an account of the bird in a natural history or an encyclopedia; it is frequently mentioned in English literature as a bird of ill omen.
41. Pallas: Minerva, goddess of wisdom. Consult Gayley's "Classic Myths." Is a bust of Pallas appropriate for a library?
47. Plutonian: from Pluto, god of the underworld.