Edgar Allan Poe Poem Analysis

1068 Words5 Pages
“Bridal Ballad” by Edgar Allan Poe The poem, “Bridal Ballad”, by Edgar Allan Poe is written from a woman’s standpoint and demonstrates the idea that a lawfully binding marriage cannot define the tie of a truly loving marriage. There is nothing that can truly marry two people except genuine love for each other. Throughout the poem, the speaker tries to convince herself that she is happy with the man she is marrying, “her Lord”, because he can give her a beautiful ring and “satin and jewels”, but in all actuality her love really lies within the heart of her dead lover, D’Elormie. The general tone of the poem is sorrow in that she cannot get over the man of her dreams and is constantly trying to re-assure herself that she is content and cheerful with her new marriage. There are some moments of sarcasm and bitterness especially when she tries convincing herself that she is “happy now” despite her very unpleasant reality. The emotions of the bride can be described as depressing because it seems as though she is living in misery because she is more concerned about putting other’s happiness before her own. “Bridal Ballad” touches on a fundamental theme of marriage and the love, loss, and longing for happiness that comes along with it. With the themes of marriage, the concept of love is the first to make an appearance in the poem. It is well known to the readers that the bride’s previous lover died in battle or “fell in the battle down the dell.” It is also quite evident that as she and her forced lover exchange vows, she remembers the breath of her former and true lover, hints the line that says “sighed to him before me, thinking him dead D’Elormie.” The true love towards her dead husband greatly outweighs the phony love for her new partner. At one moment in the poem she imagines herself marrying her dead lover that she has forever longed to believe as real. A marriage
Open Document