Compare and contrast "Alone" and "Spirits of the Dead" by Edgar Allan Poe.

Both poems contain a somber tone and include supernatural elements. Edgar Allan Poe’s tragic backstory is woven into his poetry, and these two poems utilize a dark tone to express his complicated feelings about life. Poe uses these poems to wrestle with the pain he has experienced, whether it’s grieving over his dead wife or reminiscing about his youth. Also, each poem contains a reference to the supernatural, such as heaven, demons, and spirits. This...

Both poems contain a somber tone and include supernatural elements. Edgar Allan Poe’s tragic backstory is woven into his poetry, and these two poems utilize a dark tone to express his complicated feelings about life. Poe uses these poems to wrestle with the pain he has experienced, whether it’s grieving over his dead wife or reminiscing about his youth. Also, each poem contains a reference to the supernatural, such as heaven, demons, and spirits. This was common during the Gothic literature period, which influenced Poe’s melancholic writing style.

“Spirits of the Dead” addresses the death of Poe’s wife, while “Alone” is centered on Poe’s past. In terms of structure, “Alone” is a lyric poem with eleven rhyming couplets, while “Spirits of the Dead” is free verse with different rhyming patterns.