I was first introduced to Edgar Allan Poe when in grade school. My two oldest sisters, Mary and Donna, were in high school then, and I think one of them (possibly both) read to me from their literature books. Or maybe I nosed through their books and read the beautiful poetry on my own. I really don’t remember, and neither one is around as I write this post. I could call, but well . . .
I’ll just let it go by stating that without having access to the dark, tragic works of Mr. Poe during my formative years, my style of writing–and the genres that I read–could have taken a different turn. I would probably still be interested in writing on the left side of weird, but maybe I’d be spinning tales about unicorns and fairy princesses instead of monsters and demons and “things that go bump in the night”.
Below is a YouTube link to a reading of “Annabel Lee”–which I read so often those many years ago, I almost knew it by heart–and following it, a written copy.
I hope you enjoy its woeful beauty as much as I do.
Annabel Lee
By Edgar Allan Poe
| It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. I was a child and she was a child, And this was the reason that, long ago, The angels, not half so happy in heaven, But our love it was stronger by far than the love For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams |
Filed under: poetry Tagged: Angels, Annabel Lee, Dark poetry, demons, Edgar Allan Poe, Kingdom, Love, poetry, Soul, Tomb
