Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;_x000D_ _x000D_ And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor._x000D_ _x000D_ Eagerly, I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow_x000D_ _x000D_ From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Leonore -_x000D_ _x000D_ For the rare and radiant maiden who the angels name Lenore -_x000D_ _x000D_ Nameless here for evermore.
Interpretation
The quote reflects deep sorrow and longing for a lost loved one, illustrating how memories can haunt us.
In this poignant passage from Edgar Allan Poe, the speaker recalls a moment of intense grief and nostalgia during a cold December night, capturing the essence of mourning for a lost love, Lenore. The imagery of dying embers symbolizes the fading warmth of life and happiness, while the mention of seeking solace in books highlights the futility of escaping inner sorrow. Ultimately, the sorrow for Lenore, named only in memory, underscores the enduring pain of loss and the haunting nature of unresolved feelings.
In practice
This quote could be used in a eulogy to express the pain of losing a loved one.
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.
Most writers - poets in especial - prefer having it understood that they compose by a species of fine frenzy - an ecstatic intuition - and would positively shudder at letting the public take a peep behind the scenes.
...the agony of my soul found vent in one loud, long and final scream of despair.
Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best have gone to their eternal rest.
I could have clasped the red walls to my bosom as a garment of eternal peace. "Death," I said, "any death but that of the pit!" Fool! might I have not known that into the pit it was the object of the burning iron to urge me?
In our endeavors to recall to memory something long forgotten, we often find ourselves upon the very verge of remembrance, without being able, in the end, to remember.
Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time
Life wouldn’t be worth living if I worried over the future as well as the present. When things are at their worst I find something always happens.
If I had been born in the circus, my parents would have pushed me on that little high wire at four years old. That's when the body is most limber to learn those acrobatics.
Life is a journey, but don't worry, you'll find a parking spot at the end.
Sometimes the way to do what you hope to do will be clear cut, and sometimes it will be almost impossible to decide whether or not you are doing the correct thing, because you'll have to balance your goals and hopes with feeding yourself, paying debts, finding work, settling for what you can get.
The trick is to age honestly and gracefully and make it look great, so that everyone looks forward to it.
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