I need to know by tomorrow what poe's meaning is by the poem Spirits of the dead like what the meaning behind this poem is

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

Answers

Kelli,

Spirits of the Dead by Edgar Allan Poe

As with most of his poetry, Poe constantly changed, added, modified and edited his work. This poem was first printed in his volume Tamerlane and Other Poems in 1827 and was titled Visit of the Dead. It was reprinted in 1829 in improved form with the title Spirits of the Dead in his volume Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems and it appeared in Burtons Magazine in 1839 with this same title.

The poem seems to deal with Edgar Poes notion of the souls tenuous bond to earthly things in life and an almost isolated existence of one soul to another while living as opposed to the intimacy possible between souls in death.

The probable time frame in which this poem was written is interesting as well. Written, most likely, before the age of 18, Poe had returned from the University of Virginia in December 1826 to find that his childhood sweetheart was engaged to be married to Alexander Shelton. He was also at odds with his foster-father, John Allan in a dispute over gambling debts and in March 1827, he left for Baltimore to find his natural family. In May, Poe enlisted in the United States Army and a little later that tear, his first volume was published by Calvin Thomas in Boston.

Regards,

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2000