Second Art Blog

To One in Paradise

Thou wast that all to me, love,

For which my soul did pine--

A green isle in the sea, love,

A fountain and a shrine,

All wreathed with fairy fruits and flowers,

And all the flowers were mine.

Ah, dream too bright to last!

Ah, starry Hope! that didst arise

But to be overcast!

A voice from out the Future cries,

"On!on!"--but o'er the Past

(Dim gulf!) my spirit hovering lies

Mute, motionless, aghast!

For, alast! alast! with me 

The light of Life is o'er!

No more-- no more-- no more--

(Such language holds the solemn sea

To the sands upon the shore)

Shall bloom the thunder-blasted tree,

Or the stricken eagle soar!

And all my days are trances,

And all my nightly dreams

Are where thy grey eye glances,

Are where thy footstep gleams--

In what ethereal dances,

By what eternal streams.

~Edgar Allan Poe 1834~

Edgar Poe was born January 19, 1809. He was adopted  by Mrs. John Allan after his mother died. When his new father John Allan's business became productive enough, they sent Edgar to two different schools where he was taught Latin, French, history and literature, he was known at these schools as Edgar Allen.  Edgar Allan Poe has written several poems, and tales throughout his life. I have picked a poem I have never heard of, but enjoyed and wanted to share.

Author:    Edgar Allan Poe

Title:        To One in Paradise

Genre:      Lyric Poetry

The poem's sound:  

      Meter and rhyme scheme:   To One in Paradise has a musical rhythm when spoken aloud, it has every other sentence rhyming to give it a rhythmical beat.

     Sound: The poem consists of a soft musical flow of words and different tones. Certain sentences have placed emphasis where the author expresses excitement, giving it the pleasant effusion of words. 

      Alliteration:  The passage has several words like "fountain," "fairy," "fruits," and "flowers."  Poe also repeats, "No more" three times, when one would suffice.

The poem's form:  

     This poem portrays the poets own feelings, thoughts, state of mind and perception. Unlike Edgar Allan Poe's other poems more known poems that reveal a more of a Gothic genre.  His use of "fairy fruits and flowers" seems as if it were a love ballot lyric.  Every other line written ends with a rhyme and continues into the next sentence. The poem has a Stanza form, because it is consistent with each line grouped together with a rhyme scheme. It also portrays an image of a  beautiful island, and qualities of an imaginary love.

The poems meaning:

     Metaphor: Poe says the woman's love was, "A green isle in the sea, love.....A fountain and a shrine....All wreathed with fairy fruits and flowers...which seems as if he does not want to believe she has died. The dreams he has illustrates images of his love, which seems as if he would prefer dreaming,  instead of living without her.  He is comparing the one he loves to beautiful objects, and tries to convince himself everything is fine, but he knows he will not be seeing her again. He dreads going on without her in his life, this may be why he states "no more" several times.
He says, "And all my days are trances...And all my nightly dreams.....Are where thy grey eye glances...And where thy footstep gleams--," Poe indirectly refers to his love's everlasting presence, even in death, as memories of her and in his dreams.

    Symbol:  "And all the flowers were mine'" The flower is a symbol for the dreamer's feelings. "Ah starry Hope!" is the light which guides us, when all doors are closed. "Shall bloom the thunder-blasted tree" means everything good must come to an end, or nothing last forever. He is tricking himself in believing he is ready to move on to be happy again.

   Imagery: This poem describes the reality regarding the circumstances in honest imagery and languages, this leaves the readers to discover what the speaker should do.  The image of a fruitful green island makes one think of seclusion, and loneliness.   
"The garden does indeed contain a fountain and is bounded on one end by an arched brick loggia in which a bust of Poe has pride of place; it is known as the Poe Shrine (as the entire museum was once called). The shrine’s bricks, like those of the garden wall, come from the demolished building of Richmond’s magazine The Southern Literary Messenger, where Poe found his first early success. The granite columns come from the same building. And according to Mr. Semtner, some of the soil used to grow the “fairy fruits and flowers” of the garden came from Poe’s mother’s grave." When Edgar Allan Poe says "(Dim gulf)....my spirit hovering lies" he feels as if his supernatural being or rather his spirit, lingers in a hollow dull and subdue place.

The purpose for this poem, is to share a wonderful experience in life that after having loved for such a short time, leaves him scared and alone. The poet expresses a deep love he misses who is now buried under the ground and covered with  flowers and fairy fruits. He explains their time together as paradise. It all begins with a sadness and fear, but ends with his own mental images of him trying to move on.  He has dreams of his love and what she meant to him, wishing the dreams were real. It seems as if he is forcing the subject that it is alright to move on by using explanation points and words like "Hope, Life, and Past," capitalized to strongly suggest important realizations. I can relate to the poem with images of childhood playing in trees, flowers, and being in love.  Losing someone hurts and once we accept the lost we can than make the transition into a new beginning. 

To One in Paradise to me is a romantically musical poem illustrating a beautiful relationship that blossomed into many years of love and longing. The "love" he spoke of had past away and left him miserable. He gave us a picture in a way of their relationship and her loveliness. He is desperately trying to move on, stating the future is waiting for him, he has to put away his sorrow, and face new challenges that arise, in life, love, and happiness. This poem would fit right in with modern day poems and songs, loving someone so deeply and than trying to regain our own feelings in a healthy way, too once again smile and enjoy life.
I enjoyed this poem it is a different side of Edgar Allan Poe. I found it difficult to find much about this poem, because it wasn't one of his famous ones. That is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much.