THE GOLD BUG, THE RAVEN, THE BELLS (1903) EDGAR ALLAN POE 1st Edition Reader

Description: From Edgar Allan Poe: The Gold Bug; The Raven; The Bells and Selected Poems The Lakeside Series of English Readings Ainsworth & Company 378-388 Wabash Avenue, Chicago 1903 Copyright 1903 by Ainsworth and Company. 1903 at title page. Lt. green floral patterned wraps, red cover titles and borders, brown cloth spine wrap, some edge wear, chip, toning. Antiquarian signature at cover and inside cover: "Bernice Shugart". Pages generally very good, attractively toned; brief neatly pencilled marginalia to several lines of The Bells. Features a few classic illustration plates. Saddle-stitch bind good; brown cloth binding adhesive reinforcing exterior spine. In addition to the titled poems presented, includes: a biographical sketch of EAP; a Memoir in Appreciation by W.H.R.; Life of Poe by James Russell Lowell; and, Death of Edgar A. Poe by N.P. Willis. Additional selections: Annabel Lee; Lenore; The City in the Sea; Alone; et al. Includes three pages of reference Notes at back. A wonderful introduction. Also, Graded List of Lakeside Classics - Books for Supplementary Reading, inside front and back covers and at back panel. Protected in clear sleeve. Near good example of this rare issue. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. 112 pages. Insured post. "The Bells" is a heavily onomatopoeic poem which was not published until after Poe's death in 1849. Perhaps best known for the diacopic (repetitive) use of the word "bells." The poem has four parts to it; each growing darker and darker as the poem moves from "the jingling and the tinkling" to the "moaning and the groaning" of the bells. Edgar Allan Poe's penultimate hazy narrative begins on a night in December when "The Raven" haunts the unnamed narrator who sits reading "forgotten lore" to sublimate the loss of his love, Lenore. A "rapping at his chamber door" reveals nothing, yet excites his soul to "burning". A similar rapping, slightly louder, is heard at his window. When he investigates, a raven enters his chamber. Paying no attention, the raven perches atop a bust of Pallas high above the door. Amused by the raven's comically serious disposition, the man asks that the bird tell him its name. The raven's only answer is "Nevermore". The narrator is surprised that the raven can talk, though at this point it has said nothing further. The narrator remarks to himself that his "friend" will soon fly out of his life, just as "other friends have flown before". The raven responds again with "Nevermore". The narrator reasons that the bird learned the word "Nevermore" from some "unhappy master" and that it is the only word it knows. Regardless, the narrator pulls his chair directly in front of the raven, determined to learn more. He thinks for a moment, and his mind wanders to his lost Lenore. He thinks the air grows denser and feels the presence of angels, and wonders if God is sending him a sign that he is to forget Lenore. The bird again replies in the negative, suggesting that he can never be free of his memories. The narrator becomes angry, calling the raven a "thing of evil". Finally, he asks whether he will be reunited with Lenore in Heaven. When the raven responds with its typical "Nevermore", he is enraged, and, calling it a liar, commands the bird to return to the "Plutonian shore", - but it does not move. The narrator's final admission is that his soul is trapped beneath the raven's shadow and shall be lifted "Nevermore". "The Bells" is a heavily onomatopoeic poem by which was not published until after Poe's death in 1849. Perhaps best known for the diacopic use of the word "bells." The poem has four parts to it; each growing darker and darker as the poem moves from "the jingling and the tinkling" to the "moaning and the groaning" of the bells. 5" x 7 1/2" design. Insured post.

Price: 233.95 USD

Location: Rapid River, Michigan

End Time: 2024-12-03T23:41:41.000Z

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