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The spirits of the dead who stood. In life before thee are again. In death around thee—and their will. Shall overshadow thee: be still. III. The night, tho’ clear, shall frown—. And the stars shall look not down. From their high thrones in the heaven, With light like Hope to mortals given—.
Thy soul shall find itself alone. 'Mid dark thoughts of the grey tomb-stone; Not one, of all the crowd, to pry. Into thine hour of secrecy. Be silent in that solitude, Which is not loneliness — for then. The spirits of the dead, who stood. In life before thee, are again. In death around thee, and their will.
- Summary
- Structure and Form
- Literary Devices
- Detailed Analysis
- Similar Poetry
‘Spirits of the Dead’ by Edgar Allan Poedescribes death as the greatest of mysteries and something to be appreciated for its own beauties. The poem begins with the speaker describing how “you” are standing in a cemetery alone. The speaker describes how “you” are considering life and death and are entirely alone. They make a point to contrast how “y...
‘Spirits of the Dead’ by Edgar Allan Poe is a five-stanza poem that is divided into sets of uneven lines. The first stanza has four lines, the second: six, the third: eight, the fourth: four, and the fifth: six. This means that the poem does not follow a specific rhyme scheme. The meterworks in a similar way. There are lines that are quite well str...
Throughout this poem, the poet makes use of several literary devices. These include but are not limited to: 1. Alliteration: can be seen when the poet repeatsthe same consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words. For example, “high” and “heaven” in line three of the third stanza. 2. Enjambment: can be seen when the poet cuts off a line before...
Stanza One
In the first stanza of this piece, the speaker begins by setting up a haunting image of “thee,” or “you,” standing in a graveyard. “Your” soul is lost in through of the “gray tombstone,” or death. There is no one there to “pry / Into thine hour of secrecy.” This makes it feel as though the subject’s time alone in the cemetery is incredibly important. This first stanza follows a rhyme scheme of AABB.
Stanza Two
The loneliness that’s highlighted in the first stanza is challenged in the second. The subject is alone in life, but, in death, they will be surrounded by “the spirits of the dead.” Those who were with “thee” in life will be “before thee…again / In death.” The speaker implores “you” to be “silent” in one’s solitude and truly appreciate the beauty of life and death. The rhyme scheme of this stanza is ABABCC, with new end sounds.
Stanza Three
The third stanza expresses the speaker’s interest in hope and the afterlife. The speaker personifies the stars, describing them as not looking “down” from their “high thrones in heaven,” a place of power. There, they disapprove of the way human beings perceive death. Hope is not something positive in the contextof this poem. Instead, it is something that plagues humans throughout their lives. It brings “mortals” to “weariness” that clings to “thee for ever.” In simpler terms, the speaker is e...
Readers who enjoyed this piece should also consider reading some other Edgar Allan Poe poems. For example: 1. ‘The Bells’ – the poet depicts the various sounds bells make and the events they symbolize. 2. ‘Eldorado’ – the metaphorof a knight seeking the lost city to speak on the futility of dreams and lifelong pursuits. 3. ‘A Dream’ – describes a s...
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- October 9, 1995
- Poetry Analyst And Editor
Spirits of the Dead. Thy soul shall find itself alone, Mid dark thoughts of the grey tombstone — Not one, of all the crowd to pry Into thine hour of secrecy — Be silent in thy solitude Which is not loneliness — for then The spirits of the dead who stood In life before thee are again In death around thee, and their will Shall then ...
by Edgar Allan Poe(published 1829) Thy soul shall find itself alone. 'Mid dark thoughts of the grey tomb-stone --. Not one, of all the crowd, to pry. Into thine hour of secrecy: Be silent in that solitude. Which is not loneliness -- for then. The spirits of the dead who stood. In life before thee are again.
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this poem is very meloncholy. as you are alone your thoughts change to death and other saturnine ideas. soon you are surrounded by the ghosts of those you knew while they were live. you have to stay still as these spectral visitors swirl around your knees. moving to the third stanza, you see the clear night is offering you no hope that the rays of stars usually instill in your soul. your ...
Poe explores the relation of the human soul, lonely on earth, but not lonely in the larger reality of death, for “The spirits of the dead, who stood / In life before thee, are again / In death around thee, and their will / Shall then o’er shadow thee: be still.”. The first stanza is an AABB rhyme scheme, and stanza two is an ABABCC rhyme ...
