In the greenest of our valleys
By good angels tenanted,
Once a fair and stately palace-
Radiant palace-reared its head.
In the monarch Thought's dominion-
It stood there!
Never seraph spread a pinion
Over fabric half so fair!
By good angels tenanted,
Once a fair and stately palace-
Radiant palace-reared its head.
In the monarch Thought's dominion-
It stood there!
Never seraph spread a pinion
Over fabric half so fair!
Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
On its roof did float and flow,
(This-all this-was in the olden
Time long ago,)
And every gentle air that dallied,
In that sweet day,
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
A winged odor went away.
On its roof did float and flow,
(This-all this-was in the olden
Time long ago,)
And every gentle air that dallied,
In that sweet day,
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
A winged odor went away.
Wanderers in that happy valley,
Through two luminous windows, saw
Spirits moving musically,
To a lute's well-tuned law,
Round about a throne where, sitting
(Porphyrogene!)
In state his glory well-befitting,
The ruler of the realm was seen.
Through two luminous windows, saw
Spirits moving musically,
To a lute's well-tuned law,
Round about a throne where, sitting
(Porphyrogene!)
In state his glory well-befitting,
The ruler of the realm was seen.
No, I'm not writing this entry to talk about a palace of some sort or write a review of this poem written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1838. I also do not believe this poem is simply about a palace or a mansion; it has more meanings or, at least, one very peculiar meaning.
To me, this poem symbolises a family, quite wealthy, because of the fact that they might live in a palace or in a huge mansion. We, hereby, follow the unfolding of all of their secrets and hidden identities. This, of course, does not just happen at once, but continually, even slowly.
At first, they undergo a state of happiness, wealth and success. It seems that there's absolutely nothing where it all can go wrong. Yet, it does, and it happens so suddenly that they, just like us, do not understand what's happening at once. They might even think it's just a little burst in their perfect floor, which can be covered up or even be erased. No one will ever notice.
Alas, I must inform you that this is not a story which ends by the words "happily ever after". Suddenly, but not as sudden as before, this burst begins to grow bigger and becomes almost impossible to conceal, though they do succeed to hide it from the others. Do you see the problem already? If you don't, then let me explain it to you: they, desperately, try to run from all those sources of difficulties they're about to face, instead of actually facing them and fight them.
Their foolish behaviour and ignorance are turning this whole matter into a huge mess. It takes only a few acts to get to the point where there's no turning back anymore.
And the outsiders, though not speaking about it, are watching them while they keep falling deeper and deeper. The clock is ticking. But why does everyone refuse to act? Underneath the skin of this entire performance, rests a big disrelish of the characters towards each other. When the one falls, the other will look, but will not see. He'll hold on even more tightly to his source of balance and will simply ignore the cries for help and will laugh with another's misery.
All will speak about this. How they tried to stand their ground, and yet, how they did not fight. How they just let the flow take them, because they believed they were not strong enough to confront it.
And all will remember their mistakes and learn from them, recognize a problem when they see one and, eventually, just face it.
What happened will stay in their memories, The owners of the palace will stay in their memories, haunting their minds with warnings. No room for romance, will they whisper, nor for feelings. Watch your steps.
After all, their sweet duty was but to sing in voices of surpassing beauty, the wit and wisdom of their King. Where, I ask thereby, could it possibly have gone wrong? They'd be the ones to know.
And all with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the fair palace door,
Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,
And sparkling evermore,
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
Was but to sing,
In voices of surpassing beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their King.
Was the fair palace door,
Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,
And sparkling evermore,
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
Was but to sing,
In voices of surpassing beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their King.
But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch's high estate.
(Ah, let us mourn!-for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him desolate!)
And round about his home the glory
That blushed and bloomed,
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed.
Assailed the monarch's high estate.
(Ah, let us mourn!-for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him desolate!)
And round about his home the glory
That blushed and bloomed,
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed.
And travellers, now, within that valley,
Through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms, that move fantastically
To a discordant melody,
While, like a ghastly rapid river,
Through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever
And laugh-but smile no more.
Through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms, that move fantastically
To a discordant melody,
While, like a ghastly rapid river,
Through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever
And laugh-but smile no more.
- Edgar Allan Poe, 1838
Wow, this is an interesting post on an interesting (and very difficult) subject. You clearly write very fluently, but try to be a bit more concise: some of your sentences are so complex that they are almost as hard to read as the poem itself.
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