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Edgar Allan PoeA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The lake is made up of water, which is a force of nature. The motif of water develops the theme of The Beauty of Nature. Nature’s beauty, in part, is due to its power. The lake’s waves being described as “poisonous” (Line 18) illustrates how they have the power to kill. Poison is often a liquid, developing the watery imagery. The gulf, or trough, of a wave is also described in deadly terms, as a “fitting grave” (Line 19). This comparison highlights how the bottom of a wave is like the hole in the earth that is created for a burial. Both the crests and troughs of the lake are dangerous. The deadly water of the lake also develops the theme of Hauntology and the Supernatural.
Another force of nature that appears in the poem is the wind. The wind, like the water, develops the theme of The Beauty of Nature. However, unlike the water, the wind is described in less deadly terms. The wind is “[m]urmuring in melody” (Line 10). The wind’s beauty comes from its sound, or musicality. Murmuring produces a low volume, indicating here that the wind is quiet or gentle.
By Edgar Allan Poe
A Dream Within a Dream
A Dream Within a Dream
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Annabel Lee
Annabel Lee
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Berenice
Berenice
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Hop-Frog
Hop-Frog
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Ligeia
Ligeia
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Tamerlane
Tamerlane
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The Black Cat
The Black Cat
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The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado
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The Conqueror Worm
The Conqueror Worm
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The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
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The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher
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The Gold Bug
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The Haunted Palace
The Haunted Palace
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The Imp of the Perverse
The Imp of the Perverse
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The Man of the Crowd
The Man of the Crowd
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The Masque of the Red Death
The Masque of the Red Death
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The Murders in the Rue Morgue
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The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
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The Oval Portrait
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The Philosophy of Composition
The Philosophy of Composition
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