The Complete Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (The Authoritative Edition - Wisehouse Classics)

<p>This Edition represents <em><strong>The Complete Poems of Edgar Allan Poe</strong></em> in one volume.</p><p>“What is Poetry?—Poetry! that Proteus-like idea with as many appellations as the nine-titled <em>Corcyra</em>! Give me I demanded of a scholar some time ago give me a definition of poetry? <em>“Tres volontiers”—</em>and he proceeded to his library brought me a Dr. Johnson and overwhelmed me with a definition. Shade of the immortal Shakespeare! I imagined to myself the scowl of your spiritual eye upon the profanity of that scurrilous <em>Ursa Major</em>. Think of poetry dear B—think of poetry and then think of—Dr. Samuel Johnson! Think of all that is airy and fairy-like and then of all that is hideous and unwieldy; think of his huge bulk the Elephant! and then—and then think of the Tempest—the Midsummer Night’s Dream—Prospero—Oberon—and Titania!</p><p>A poem in my opinion is opposed to a work of science by having for its immediate object pleasure not truth; to romance by having for its object an indefinite instead of a definite pleasure being a poem only so far as this object is attained; romance presenting perceptible images with definite poetry with indefinite sensations to which end music is an essential since the comprehension of sweet sound is our most indefinite conception. Music when combined with a pleasurable idea is poetry; music without the idea is simply music; the idea without the music is prose from its very definitiveness.” —Edgar Allan Poe</p>