Spirits Of The Dead Analysis

Thy soul shall find itself alone
'Mid dark thoughts of the grey tomb-stone;
Not one, of all the crowd, to pry
Into thine hour of secrecy.

Be silent in that solitude,
Which is not loneliness- for then
The spirits of the dead, who stood
In life before thee, are again
In death around thee, and their will
Shall overshadow thee; be still.

The night, though clear, shall frown,
And the stars shall not look down
From their high thrones in the Heaven
With light like hope to mortals given,
But their red orbs, without beam,
To thy weariness shall seem
As a burning and a fever
Which would cling to thee for ever.

Now are thoughts thou shalt not banish,
Now are visions ne'er to vanish;
From thy spirit shall they pass
No more, like dew-drop from the grass.

The breeze, the breath of God, is still,
And the mist upon the hill
Shadowy, shadowy, yet unbroken,
Is a symbol and a token.
How it hangs upon the trees,
A mystery of mysteries!

.: :.

I feel like the start Poe is explaining that when biological death occurs, you live. Before you Live you are actually dead. The tombstone is foreshadowing the "final" end. The soul is free in a sense.
"Be silent in that solitude,
Which is not loneliness- for then
The spirits of the dead, who stood
In life before thee, are again
In death around thee, and their will
Shall overshadow thee; be still. "
This is basically saying we are all dead in what we call life. We are living in hell, but in a sense we are just all dead in hell. Then when we actually live we die. Kinda crazy but I can connect to it.
Then basically he talks about Its just a mystery as of what God does, if there even is a God.

| Posted on 2009-07-20 | by a guest

.: :.

I think Poe is trying to explain how those that have been with you in life will watch over you in death. It explains how "Thy soul shall find itself alone". The poem emphasizes on lonliness and solitude, and how death is a mystery. It explains how there is a light that gives hope.

| Posted on 2009-05-19 | by a guest

.: :.

I think Poe is trying to explain how those that have been with you in life will watch over you in death. It explains how "Thy soul shall find itself alone". The poem emphasizes on lonliness and solitude, and how death is a mystery. It explains how there is a light that gives hope.

| Posted on 2009-05-19 | by a guest

.: :.

Poe is explaining a version of death. Specifically the death of someone who becomes an earth bound spirit. "Thy sould shal find itself alone mid dark thoughts.". The spirits of those who stood before you in life are again with you in death, if they are also earth bound. These are spirits that have unfinished business. Mournful brooding souls who seek some sort of comfort and closure that will never come. This type of spirit is tormented and would find no joy or hope in the night sky or the twinkling of stars. The sky would only mock them, being a contstant reminder of the lives they lost and their seperation from the breath of God. The rest is just imagery, setting the mood, to make the point. At the end Poe does speak of the mystery of life and death. Obviously only the spirits of the dead know the answers.

| Posted on 2009-03-17 | by a guest

.: :.

I think that it is about people trying to understand something known, documented, but not understood, in this case, death and what comes after. It is something so simple yet so complex, that the universe seems to be against you. The thoughts will not leave and will not be comprehended. Poe uses the fog as an analogy.
Shadowy, shadowy _ yet unbroken
It is a symbol and a token
It doesn't matter if you understand it or not, it exists and will continue to exist.
Another example is "Through the Never" by Metallica.
All that is
Ever, ever was
Will be ever
Twisting, turning through the never

| Posted on 2009-03-15 | by a guest

.: :.

I think this poem is about Poe's wife because she died, and he was saddened by her death. Also I think he sort of lost hope hence the line,''With light like hope to mortal's given.'' He lived a depressing life so, her death was like a another bitter pill for him to take which is life. The poem also states that having a loved one die (like his wife) is like having a burning and a fever which refers to sadness and would cling to him or you forever.

| Posted on 2009-01-12 | by a guest

.: opinion :) :.

supernatural phenomena - not implicitly mentioned but definetly implied 'their red orbs'burn into the persona as he makes his way through the graveyard. Later there is a clearer allusion to the supernatural. "the spirits of the dead that stood in life around thee are again in death around thee...' They (the spirits) serve as a presence that dispels any notion that God has any influence in that place.
Religion - S.O.T.D takes place in a graveyard traditionally christian burying grounds, though this poem implies a lack of religion as even 'the breath of god is still'. The old book of genisis tell the story of how god breathed life into Adam and so the absence of the breeze equals an absence of life.
Melodrama - Poe uses melodrama to amplify the eerie atmosphere of S.O.T.D. By stating that the 'stars shall not look down from their high thrones' creating scenery devoid of even starlight.
Fear - S.O.T.D draws particularly on the theme of death and what lies beyond, playing on fears of the overwhelming power of the risen dead. 'In death around thee, their will shall over shagow thee: be still'

| Posted on 2008-03-10 | by a guest

.: why :.

i believe that this poem is talking about a spirit or ghost most would say is trying to explain the feelings of death not only to the dying but the faimly as well poe has always had a morbid way of thinking but i think is a completely diffrent concept he is preparing us for the grief that comes with death like how our bodies may vanish but ou memory will remain with those who will constinly think of us weather they know of it or not. it also goes into how those who remember us will feel the same grief as the dead and or dying but i completely agree with this poem that poe wrote death is a sort of mystery but only to those who have never felt the grief of loseing a "LOVED ONE"

| Posted on 2008-02-28 | by a guest

.: opinion :.

my opipion on this poem is that it is not about something sad but happiness...how would you feel if a love one you lost a long time and suddenly after you are together again... how would you feel

| Posted on 2008-01-23 | by a guest

.: :.

I think this was about death and dying alone. This poem was good in the fact that most people think dying is a blessing to help you move on. This is stating the opposite telling us that death is a curse.

| Posted on 2008-01-15 | by a guest

.: :.

“Spirits of the Dead” by Edgar Allen Poe is a poem about dying, and not being afraid of death. Poe discusses how upon death you, the reader, shall find yourself alone by your tombstone, but you won’t really be alone. He talks about how all of those who where with you in life and had passes on will meet you there. Poe mentions that even though visually you shall vanish from view, the memory of you will forever live on in hearts and minds of those who knew you while you where alive. He also mentions that ‘gods’ breath shall remain still, meaning that dying is something that is meant to be; it is natural and shouldn’t be feared. I also get the feeling that this poem was written for someone who is about to die, or has just recently died, because he writes “thee”, the objective form of thou, which is the old English for ‘you’. Although Poe could be just speaking to the reader and attempting to explain to us that death isn’t something we need to fear, the poem still gives off the impression of being written more specifically for someone else.

~Lonely Vampire
8:38 May 08, 2007

| Posted on 2007-05-08 | by a guest

.: Spirits of the Dead :.

In Spirits of the Dead, Poe records the monologue of a dead man speaking to a dying one. In the first two stanzas spoken by the ghost, he speaks of dying. “Thy soul shall find itself alone amid dark thoughts of the grey tomb stone.” Then spirits, with whom the dying man was familar with in life, appear and “overshadow” him. He then proceeds to explain death in the third stanza. According to Poe, rather than the conventional view of “bright light” and the high thrones in Heaven, death is dark and difficult—like a fever “which would cling to thee for ever.” The spirit continues by describing the institution of death as being similar to thoughts “thou shalt not banish”. He compares living to dew-drops on grass that come, then leave, then come again. Death is the end of that cycle. In the final stanza, the spirit says that the breath of God (or the breath in man from God) is stilled—dead people no longer breathe. Everything both internal and external is still. Poe, in the last line of the poem, gives his opinion of death, “A mystery of mysteries!”

| Posted on 2007-03-18 | by a guest

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I think this poem narrates his life (Poe's) as in what he feel's, he feels alone and uncertain of God's help towerd us, even though he is certain there is gifts in heaven for us for he says in his poem "The night-tho' clear-shall frown- and the stars shall not look down, from heaven, whith light like HOPE to mortal given- But their red orbs, without beam, to thy weariness shall seem as a burning and a fever wich would cling to thee for ever. Showing that even though he sufferd in his life he felt hope after death, even though uncirten of going to heaven or hell.

| Posted on 2007-02-28 | by a guest

.: spirits of the dead :.

Knowing Poe's style, this poem seems to be about how the memories of the dead haunt the living. One particular example of that is how the stars are absent, there is no heavens, but "red orbs." I don't see the theme of hope coming from this poem, or any of Poe's work for that matter, considering that the heavens are absent and God sends a mist. Mist usually symbolizes mystery and unease rather than hope and an uplifting tone. The line "Now are thoughts thou shalt not banish" only furthers Poe's point that the memories of the dead are continuous. They cannot be ridded, and the "burning and the fever" are with a man's soul forever.

| Posted on 2006-05-25 | by Approved Guest

.: anayalis :.

I am sure this poem is about depression.
that u will find your self alone thinging about death-tombstones.either no one will care or there is no one too care.Be silent don't let anyone know.It is only then that the people u knew in life will surround u in their death. their will shall overshadow thee-I might mean they want u to die so u can be with them.
The poem then talks of the night-although it is clear-shall disapprove of you. It speaks of the stars traditionally their to give hope to mortals. But now the stars shall make you feel like u have a fever-a disease-depression--.that it would never go away.
Then it says u will never forget these thoughts nor forget your ghostly visitors-they will never leave you. the power of god is still. Your dark thought are not broken. Almost like God can do nothing for you. Death is mystery. almost like it can never be solved


| Posted on 2005-08-06 | by Approved Guest

.: :.

I think he was talking about someone in a cemetery, who was standing by a tombstone, and spirits came to the guy, and began to circle around him, and he had to stand still, until they left, and it was like they were showing the guy the loneliness of death, and that final line of the last stanza, stating how death was a mystery. It's also how the heavens shun us, and don't help us when we are going through a lesson, and they let you go through it alone. Also how a small light from the heavens can brighten your day, and make the path more easier.

| Posted on 2005-06-30 | by EmpathicAya

.: opinon :.

My opinion of this poem by Edgar Allen Poe is that he is speaking of the unkown not only death but also life not knowing what to expect and even thoes that went before us afe still in memory and life and death will always be a mystory. It also talkes about the darkness and sadness one goes through. In the third stanza it talkes about the high thrones in heaven i think that that is talking about how god watches us but does not get involved in what is going on in our lives down here on earth and if we make it to his thrown we will see everything. The only thing god gives us on this earth is hope.

| Posted on 2005-03-19 | by Devils Angel