2. Alone
Edgar Allan Poe
Read
From childhood's hour I have not been POEM Aloud
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring at least twice
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then- in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life- was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view.
3. PARAPHRASE POEM
USE YOUR OWN WORDS TO EXPRESS WHAT POEM IS SAYING
Highlight
Poem
Which words do you notice first? Why did they
stand out from others?
How do the important words relate to each other?
Do any words seem oddly used to you? Why?
Do any words have more than one meaning? What are all
the possible ways to read the poem?
Look up any unfamiliar words.
5. COMMENT ON
IMAGERY USED
How does the imagery enhance the poem?
Are there colors, sounds, or physical descriptions that
appeal to the senses? Does the imagery form a pattern? Why
might the poet have selected these images?
Are there metaphors used? How do they add to the meaning
of the poem?
Is the poet’s use of imagery consistent?
7. DESCRIBE OVERALL TONE
OF POEM
What feeling does the poem communicate to you as a
reader?
What is the sentence rhythm like? Short & choppy? Long &
flowing? Is there an even pace or does it build?
Look at punctuation & capitalization -- anything unusual?
Is there repetition used? What about a rhyme scheme? How
does this add to the overall feeling?
10. Since he was
a young
child, he has
felt different Alone
Edgar Allan Poe Feels alone
because his
From childhood's hour I have not been view of life is
No As others were; I have not seen
happiness in not like other
As others saw; I could not bring people’s
his heart My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken Has difficulty
My heart to joy at the same tone; forming
And all I loved, I loved alone. relationships
Metaphor to show Then- in my childhood, in the dawn
that from the very Of a most stormy life- was drawn
earliest of his days From every depth of good and ill Confused by the
(the dawn) it was The mystery which binds me still: chaotic life he has
unhappy & From the torrent, or the fountain, suffered—“Why
unstable (stormy From the red cliff of the mountain, Me?”
life) From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky Black cloud forms in
As it passed me flying by, front of his view –
Everything in life makes
From the thunder and the storm, everything else is
him feel out of place –
And the cloud that took the form “blue” except the
every aspect a stormy
(When the rest of Heaven was blue) cloud in front of him
one – blocking his
Of a demon in my view.
happiness
His inability to relate to others
Poem’s Tone: becomes “a demon” in his
Despairing view, causing him great
Detached loneliness & unhappiness
Melancholy
Paraphrase of poem: This poem shows how lonely it can be for people who find
themselves “different” from the mainstream. When he says “I have not seen as others
saw – I could not bring my passions from a common spring”, he is saying that his view of
life is different from other people’s. He is also saying that what he feels is not like the
common person, but, instead quite unique to him. He goes on to say that his childhood
was a “stormy one” and maybe this is a contributing element to his alienation. He has
difficulty establishing relationships with people, “all I lov’d – I lov’d alone”. Finally, he
realizes that his inability to relate to other people is causing him to feel great loneliness
and is a deterrent to his happiness, what he calls a “demon in my view”.
Rhyme Scheme: Every two lines rhyme, creating a steady rhythm that helps to maintain
an even pace throughout the poem.
