A few years ago I came across an E.A.Poe complete works in a library whereupon I encountered a short 6 to 8 line poem entitled, "Thoughts on Ale." I read it and found it to be one of his more humorous poems. It was about a guy drunk out of his gourd describing what the world looked like in his state. I've tried to find that poem all over the web and in other books but haven't been able to. My question is, is there a Peo poem called "Thoughts on Ale" and why is it never included in his "complete" works? Or was it a poem that was mistakenly included in the book that I found in the library?

-- Anonymous, January 26, 2000

Answers

That's a good question!! I believe that if Poe wrote the poem and it's not included in his complete works , must be because: 1- He did not wrote a poem with that name, it was probably misplaced in that book when it belonged to somebody else. 2- Or the FBI or CIA are hidding the poem cause it may contain Federal secrets or something like it. You know how our goverment hides info. to us.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2000

Larry,

The short poem "Lines on Ale" has only been attributed to Poe, with some measure of reservation, by T. O. Mabbott. It is said to have been written about 1848/1849. According the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore web site, this poem, in manuscript form, hung on the wall of a tavern for years before it was eventually lost. The poem was recovered as shown from the memory of a Mr. Jerry Murphy. For information notes by Mabbott about this poem, see Mabbott's "Poems", pg 449.

LINES on ALE

Fill with mingled cream and amber,

I will drain that glass again.

Such hilarious visions clamber

Through the chamber of my brain -

Quaintest thoughts - queerist fancies

Come to life and fade away;

What care I how time advances?

I am drinking ale today.

Regards,

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2000