Article 8:

"A Valentine"

by: Edgar Allan Poe

 

     Edgar Allan born Edgar Poe,  January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre.Widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature as a whole, he was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story. Poe is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

      Although Poe claimed that you will not read the riddle, people obviously figured it out, many believe almost immediately. His scandalous relationship with Frances 'Fanny' Osgood was one of the worst-kept secrets in American literary society in the early 19th century, so just a good guess would've probably been enough to decipher his clues. Some of these clues are cloaked in mythological or historical references, while others are actually pretty straightforward and likely helped readers discover the address of A Valentin' rather easily. From the very beginning, Poe uses an allusion to the myth of Leda and Zeus, who seduced her as a swan and fathered the Gemini. The 'twins of Leda,' then, actually refer to the two brightest stars in the Gemini constellation, to which Poe compares Fanny's eyes. He also claims that his riddle is really 'no Gordian knot,' which being unable to untangle, Alexander the Great simply severed with his sword. Perhaps one of Poe's most telling clues, though, comes when he compares the letters of the poem to a 'naturally lying' 16th-century Portuguese explorer. This increases the significance of the individual letters, suggesting the use of an acrostic. 
 
      This poem, “A Valentine” is written by the famous Edgar Allen Poe. This love poem is written for a woman, who is already married. The chosen subject matter, theme and Poe’s writing style have made this poem lengthen its existence until today, and still can maintain its unique and beautiful meaning. This analysis will focus on the deconstruction of this romantic poem, through the subject matter, theme, context, tone and literary devices used.This is a lyrical poem, written in the form of acrostic.