Summary

Edgar Allan Poe’s Ulalume is more of a haunting yet mysterious poem that has captivated readers over the years. The author has undertaken an in-depth exploration of the major themes of loss, grief, and the supernatural that continue to resonate with modern-day readers. Indeed, it is through the stated themes of loss, grief, and the supernatural that better comprehension of Ulalume's poem’s complexity and multifaceted meaning can be acquired. In addition to that, an understanding of such themes can allow one to acknowledge and appreciate the human psyche and the supreme power of the subconscious. To increase an understanding of the poem’s meaning, one needs to explore the annotations left by classmates as will be incorporated in this report.
Imagery and emotion can be stated to add an insightful outlook toward specific events. In the poem, the author craftly uses these two aspects in a bid to develop his plot and themes. Emotions form an ideal way in which readers can be persuaded towards a specific line of thought. For example, as Adam’s annotation states’ One big idea these poems got me to think was the way imagery shows emotion and suffering.’ It is evident that through mastery Poe can apply evocative imagery to relay the speaker’s overwhelming grief. A key example of the lines used for these purposes includes ‘The wan moon, setting with a slick glare/Where the lone nightingale in oozing slumbers lay’ (Poe, n.d.). The deliberate use of these lines not only paints a desolate picture but also reflects the speaker’s internal being.

Another key point noted in Poe’s works is love and loss. Love and loss have come out so powerful from the poem in the context that humans' love for each other does not end when they die but rather continues to live on with them for the rest of their lives. Myosotis expresses this point in her annotation ‘One big idea that the poem ‘Ulalume’ by Edgar Allan Poe had me thinking was the concept of loving someone such much even after they are gone.’ This observation is aligned with the important message of love together with loss. For a case in point, there are instances when the speaker uses repetitive references all directed to hixs beloved lost love ‘Ulalume.’ In other instances, in the poem, one can note the despairing and frantic pleas made such as ‘Yet the sweet echo is all I can call- Ulalume! Ulalume! and the night wind replies.’ All these actions portray the depth of the speaker’s sorrowfulness and the clouding line between memory and reality. It’s all about reminiscing and forgetting to distinguish the past from the present thus revealing a huge effect the loss had on the speaker (Poe, n.d.).

The third theme that stands out from the text is symbolism and despair. Indeed, symbolism relates to the act of showcasing certain meanings in hidden objects. This aspect comes out clearly from Ping’s annotation as she claims ‘expressing emotions or personal choices can be undertaken with borrowed objects, or scenes. Poe’s poem Ulalume borrows many descriptions of scenery and objects to express the author’s inner sadness and despair’ (Poe, n.d.). All these highlight the poem’s use of symbols and the emotional turmoil that they have gone through in their lives.
The emphasis on loss, grief, and the supernatural paves the way for readers to acknowledge and appreciate the psychological complexity of Ulalume. The poem highlights the weeping for the dead and the indescribable hardships and emotional state that the author is going through (Poe, n.d.). On the other hand, the supernatural aspects among them ghostly birds and the desolate landscape, become representations of his internal struggle to deal with grief.
One of the most outstanding trends that is noted in the piece of work is on prominent on the theme of loss, grief, and the supernatural. The speaker wishes to express his emotional journey that has affected their current state. On this one can understand the essence of the speaker’s journey in a dark and isolated world has been showcased symbolizing his lineage into hopelessness. Poe, (n.d.) wishes to reveal and express his emotions as a way in which they can be able to make peace with the past and especially with the connection that they had with their loved one.

An acknowledgment of the theme of loss and grief is clearly shown by the scrutiny of the poem Ulalume as well as in the incorporated annotations. Humans are emotional beings and Poe does not shy away from using the speaker to express his emotions and tribulations that he is going through (Poe, n.d.). Further is the haunting imagery and symbolism that the readers can view through the speaker’s lens. This approach offers a connection between the speaker’s hopelessness and the lasting power of memory retention. The move of examining annotations in literary works forms an appropriate approach to further understanding the themes and concepts of a piece of work. Such an approach does not only make the work outstanding but also relatable across different generations.

 
Bibliography
Poe, E. A. (n.d.). Ulalume. Academy of American Poets. Retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44889/to-ulalume-a-ballad