Beaming Notes
Your Guide to Literature

Several versions of this poem have been published by Poe. It was first published in the 1831 collection of Poe’s poetry simply entitled Poems under the name ‘The Valley Nis’. In 1836, Poe revised the 1831 version of the poem, changing the last twenty lines to a large extent, but retaining the original title. In… Continue reading The Valley of Unrest Analysis by Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is one of the foremost American authors and poets of his age, and in fact any age. Considered by many critics as an exponent of the Romantic Movement in America, Poe’s brand of Romanticism is better described as Dark Romanticism. His themes are generally gloomy, sorrowful, and mysterious, and hence, they… Continue reading The Valley of Unrest Summary by Edgar Allan Poe

Emily Dickinson is considered as one of the most acclaimed 19th century American poets. She explored her own spirituality through poignant verses and personal poetry. She was born on 1830 to an affluent family of Amherst, Massachusetts. Dickinson’s interest lied on philosophy, Geology, Latin and Botany apart from poetry. Success is Counted Sweetest is a philosophical… Continue reading Success is Counted Sweetest Summary by Emily Dickinson

Robinson. Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson re-introduces the classic theme of pessimism where a man; Richard Cory is pen pictured as the pivotal character of the poem. The poem follows a classic narrative pattern where the speaker belongs to the lower class of the society &Richard Cory is depicted as an individual who has everything; apparently… Continue reading Analysis of Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson

‘Spirits of the Dead’ was first published under the name ‘Visits of the Dead’ in the 1827 collection of Poe’s poetry known as Tamerlane and Other Poems. The title was changed for re-publication in another collection entitled Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems, which was published two years later. The rhyme scheme of each of… Continue reading Spirits of the Dead Analysis by Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is an American author and poet belonging to the Romantic era. However, his most common theme of choice is horror, unlike other Romantics perhaps. His depiction of nature makes use of fear-inducing imagery, and his poems are often mysterious and ambiguous in their meanings. ‘Spirits of the Dead’ is no exception.… Continue reading Spirits of the Dead Summary by Edgar Allan Poe

Written in the form a sestina, ‘A Miracle for Breakfast’ has a complex structure. In a sestina, the last word of each line in the first stanza is repeated in varying order in the next five stanzas, ending with the three-line seventh stanza known as an ‘envoi’ involving all six repeated words. In ‘A Miracle… Continue reading A Miracle for Breakfast Analysis by Elizabeth Bishop

Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979) is an American poet who lived through both the First World War and the Second World War, as well as the Great Depression. She not only observed the unemployment and poverty of millions in America, but also experienced it in her own life. This helps her to write poignantly about loss. ‘A… Continue reading A Miracle for Breakfast Summary by Elizabeth Bishop

Edward Lear (13 May 1812- 29 January 1888): Edward Lear belonged to the Victorian age. But unlike his contemporary author and poets, his writings were not meant for serious readers. He wrote for children, using the form of literary nonsense in his poetries and prose. Born to a London stockbroker; Jeremiah Lear (who was bankrupted… Continue reading The Quangle Wangle’s Hat Summary by Edward Lear