I am doing a paper on Edagr Allen poe and I need to find out why he came up with the peom Lenore? I need this answered as soon as you can please because I have looked all over for this and it is impossible. Thank you Nikki Acamo

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2003

Answers

Only seconds to answer, so sorry. Look at the early poem "A Paean". "Lenore" went through several big transitions, none all that satisfying, but it all dates back to his youthful making of statements against the Romantic atitudes of others toward certain themes. In this case, primarily(I think?) it has to do with looking at death as a triumph, leaving the hypocritical mourners in the life they had had miserable for the deceased young woman. These atitudes toward memory and salvation begin to be shaken with the years (The Raven), but the tone of defiance and rebellion, memory and hope is a Poe constant.

You probably were looking for something from his own life experience and that isn't hard with death of prominent women in his life. That is a general backdrop. The more particular may be some some poem or social attitude Poe may be critcizing.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2003