Transcript LA9U6L4Adam

The Valley of
Unrest
By Edgar Allan Poe
(1831)
Once it smiled a silent dell
Where the people did not dwell;
They had gone unto the wars,
Trusting to the mild-eyed stars,
Nightly, from their azure towers,
To keep watch above the flowers,
In the midst of which all day
The red sunlight lazily lay.
Now each visitor shall confess
The sad valley's restlessness.
Nothing there is motionlessNothing save the airs that brood
Over the magic solitude.
Ah, by no wind are stirred those trees
That palpitate like the chill seas
Around the misty Hebrides!
Ah, by no wind those clouds are driven
That rustle through the unquiet Heaven
Uneasily, from morn till even,
Over the violets there that lie
In myriad types of the human eyeOver the lilies there that wave
And weep above a nameless grave!
They wave:- from out their fragrant tops
Eternal dews come down in drops.
They weep:- from off their delicate stems
Perennial tears descend in gems.
Summary
This poem speaks of a valley or a village, That has been
Deserted to possibly avoid war (“They had gone unto the wars”). It
mostly describes the silence and the desolation in the village or
valley, and goes to great lengths to create the impression of
complete emptiness in the valley, the poem also speaks of how
even though the valley is empty, it is still filled with activity.
I choose this poem because of the great way it conveys a mood, and because
of how easily you can imagine what this valley may look like due to the way the
poet describes details and creates a mood for the poem, and almost; it seems,
for the valley itself. I also like this poem because of how much it leaves to the
imagination, Edgar Allan Poe leaves a lot for you to imagine, just leaving you
with the beginning of possibly numerous ideas of what this poem means, and
allowing you pick your own. This poem uses personification in quite a few
places (i.e. “The red sunlight lazily lay” “The sad valley's restlessness” and also
uses words like “solitude” and “restlessness” to create a mood, which I feel is
lonely and empty.
Five Questions
I: What kind of mood does this poem create?
II: How well does it create this mood?
III: What words are used convey a mood?
IV: How does this poem feel? (i.e.
current/dated)
V: Does the poet succeed in creating a mood
and conveying his ideas?