“Serenade”, by Edgar Allan Poe is a poem on the affect nature has over man. The affect nature has over Poe is described can be described as awe strucking . Poe uses allusion towards Greek mythology, giving it a mystical nighttime feel. Using the AABB pattern, and clever word play, the poem begins obtaining an enchanting rhythm, making it sound very much like a serenade. With his use of old English and Greek mythology, it paints the scene of the untouched nature in which the story takes place, describing it as much as heavenly. In which both the Seven Heavenly sisters enjoy, and even Endymion ( the lover of the moon and the most handsome man) even agrees with.
“An image of Elysium lies:
Seven Pleiades entranced in Heaven,
Form in the deep another seven:
Endymion nodding from above
Sees in the sea a second love.”
Elysium was known as paradise in a Homers writings. Poe uses this comparison, to show how the night time scene is like paradise and tries to give the reader a sense of of serenity and fulfillment of peace. many people wish to see paradise and Poe implies that the scene before the audience is the paradise and heaven in which they had been seeking for. The scene is painted more like heaven when Poe brings up the Seven sisters. in Astronomy, the seven sisters are a group of stars in which is visible to the naked eye, and is the brightest in the night sky. there appreance in the night enhance the scene the Poe is trying to paint. Not only are they stars as the phrase “Form in deep another seven”, also refers them back to their Greek origin, in which they are known as the Seven Heavenly Sisters.
Endymion represents the reader, as in mythology he was a handsome astronomer who was very passionate about astronomy, and ended up falling in love with the goddess of the moon. Just as he has found love in nature, we as the reader are slowly falling in love with nature ourselves. Poe compares his love to paradise with the love he has to his Adeline. The scenery is romanticized slowly lulling the reader into a state of pure bliss.
The reason I choose this poem was because, it is rare to find this form of paradise in society. Untainted by human hatred and industrialization, it makes it sound like this nighttime garden, is only found within a dream. The depth of emotion and feeling within this piece is assured to strike a thought to the reader. And just as how Poe has found paradise it gives me hope that I can find it also.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/serenade/
407 words
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