The aim of this blog is to serve as a meeting point to those who study or have studied English philology and, more broadly, to all those who love literature and language.

19 Jan 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POE

José Ángel reminds us that today is the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth and recommends us this website with ideas to host a 'Poe party'. In the first step for the organisation of that type of party, they suggest sending an ivitation for a 'Masque of the Red Death' celebration. This is a 'Youtube window' to the ball for those interested in the party (I'm not attending it, I'd rather re-read the story)



Baltimore, where Poe died, celebrates this event with a different programme and our 'relative' in Blogger, The Edgar Allan Poe Bicentennial includes a list of events in different USA places.

Another way of celebrating the day may be reading one of his poems, for example, this one, 'A Dream Within a Dream'.

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

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