Edgar Allan Poe Poetry: The Ultimate Edgar Allan Poe

By Edgar Allan Poe

Resonant with themes of love, loneliness, and death, the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe continues to appeal to modern readers more than 150 years later. Spanning the breadth of Poe’s career, this collection of poetry follows the master from his early works through to poetical achievements such as “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee.” One of the best-known American writers, Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry influenced the American Romantic and French Symbolist movements in the 19th century.

HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Apr 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781443415545

Edgar Allan Poe

Dan Ariely is James B. Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University and Sunday Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions. Ariely's TED talks have over 10 million views; he has 90,000 Twitter followers; and probably the second most famous Behavioural Economist in the World after Daniel Kahneman.

Book preview

Poe_Poetry_Cover.jpg

The Ultimate

Edgar Allan Poe:

Poetry

Edgar Allan Poe

HarperPerennialClassicsLogo.jpg

CONTENTS

O, Tempora! O, Mores!

Tamerlane

Song

Imitation

A Dream

The Lake—To—

Spirits of the Dead

Evening Star

Dreams

The Happiest Day

Alone

To The River——

To——

To——

Romance

Fairy-Land

Sonnet—To Science

Al Aaraaf

To Helen

A Paean

The Sleeper

The City in the Sea

The Valley of Unrest

Israfel

The Coliseum

To One in Paradise

Hymn

To F—S S. O—d (To Elizabeth)

Bridal Ballad

To Zante

The Haunted Palace

Silence–A Sonnet

The Conqueror Worm

Lenore

Dream-Land

To F——

Eulalie

The Raven

A Valentine

To M. L. S——(1847)

Ulalume

To Marie Louise

An Enigma

To Helen

A Dream Within A Dream

Eldorado

For Annie

To My Mother

Annabel Lee

The Bells

About the Series

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

O, TEMPORA! O, MORES!

O, Times! O, Manners! It is my opinion

That you are changing sadly your dominion—

I mean the reign of manners hath long ceased,

For men have none at all, or bad at least;

And as for times, altho’ ’tis said by many

The good old times were far the worst of any,

Of which sound doctrine I believe each tittle,

Yet still I think these worse than them a little.

I’ve been a thinking—isn’t that the phrase?—

I like your Yankee words and Yankee ways—

I’ve been a thinking, whether it were best

To take things seriously, or all in jest;

Whether, with grim Heraclitus of yore,

To weep, as he did, till his eyes were sore:

Or rather laugh with him, that queer philosopher,

Democritus of Thrace, who used to toss over

The page of life and grin at the dog-ears,

As though he’d say, Why who the devil cares?

This is a question which, oh heaven, withdraw

The luckless query from a member’s claw!

Instead of two sides, Job has nearly eight,

Each fit to furnish forth four hours debate.

What shall be done? I’ll lay it on the table,

And take the matter up when I’m more able;

And, in the meantime, to prevent all bother,

I’ll neither laugh with one, nor cry with t’other

Nor deal in flatt’ry or aspersions foul,

But, taking one by each hand, merely growl.

Ah, growl, say you, my friend, and pray at what?

Why, really, sir, I almost had forgot—

But, damn it, sir, I deem it a disgrace

That things should stare us boldly in the face,

And daily strut the street with bows and scrapes,

Who would be men by imitating apes.

I beg your pardon, reader, for the oath,

The monkeys make me swear, though something loth;

I’m apt to be discursive in my style,

But pray be patient; yet a little while

Will change me, and as politicians do,

I’ll mend my manners and my measures too.

Of all the cities—and I’ve seen no few;

For I have traveled, friend, as well as you—

I don’t remember one, upon my soul,

But take it generally upon the whole,

(As members say they like their logic taken,

Because divided, it may chance be shaken)

So pat, agreeable and vastly proper

As this for a neat, frisky counter-hopper;

Here he may revel to his heart’s content,

Flounce like a fish in his own element,

Toss back his fine curls from his forehead fair,

And hop o’er counters with a Vester’s air,

Complete at night what he began A. M.,

And having cheated ladies, dance with them;

For, at a ball, what fair one can escape

The pretty little hand that sold her tape,

Or who so cold, so callous to refuse

The youth who cut the ribbon for her shoes!

One of these fish, par excellence the beau—

God help me!—it has been my lot to know,

At least by sight, for I’m a timid man,

And always keep from laughing, if I can;

But speak to him, he’ll make you such grimace,

Lord! to be grave exceeds the power of face.

The hearts of all the ladies are with him,

The bright eyes on his Tom and Jerry brim

And dove-tailed coat, obtained at cost; while then

Those eyes won’t turn on anything like men.

His very voice is musical delight,

His form, once seen, becomes a part of sight;

In short, his shirt collar, his look, his tone is

The beau ideal fancied for Adonis.

Philosophers have often held dispute

As to the seat of thought in man and brute;

For that the power of thought attends the latter

My friend, the beau, hath made a settled matter,

And spite all dogmas, current in all ages,

One settled fact is better than ten sages.

For he does think, though I am oft in doubt

If I can

Reviews for Edgar Allan Poe Poetry

[abbeyhar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

To be honest, I only read about a third of this - all that was required for class. Spooky! But a little repetitive to read all in one sitting.

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Read selections from this for my coursera SF/F class. And... it's made me like Poe even less, somehow. I just found his prose completely stultifying -- possibly partly because I've read most of these stories before (if not all), partly because of the period it was written, and part of it must be something to do with Poe's style specifically, because I don't find all work of that era equally boring.Whatever, I'm glad to have read Poe so I have that background knowledge, but emphasis on have read, past tense. I can't see myself voluntarily reading more of his work.

[alcracka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Edgar Allan Poe was a depressive indolent drunk failure who married his 13-year-old cousin and spent his life composing purposefully obnoxious, repellant stories because "To be appreciated, you must be read," and he felt that the controversy would get him read. Which was astute of him.

His Dupin stories are interesting if you're a Holmes fan, since Conan Doyle's debt to them is obvious, but they're nowhere near as good as the Holmes stories. Fucking orangutans, man. His horror is hit or miss. Pit and the Pendulum is truly disturbing; Fall of the House of Usher is a little boring.

And he was just obsessed with being buried alive. Man, like all his stories are about that. Loss of Breath is my favorite, I think.