Poe Fridays: Bridal Ballad

This week's Poe Fridays selection was the poem Bridal Ballad.

The ring is on my hand,
And the wreath is on my brow;
Satins and jewels grand
Are all at my command,
And I am happy now.

And my lord he loves me well;
But, when first he breathed his vow,
I felt my bosom swell--
For the words rang as a knell,
And the voice seemed his who fell
In the battle down the dell,
And who is happy now.

But he spoke to reassure me,
And he kissed my pallid brow,
While a reverie came o'er me,
And to the churchyard bore me,
And I sighed to him before me,
Thinking him dead D'Elormie,
"Oh, I am happy now!"

And thus the words were spoken,
And thus the plighted vow,
And, though my faith be broken,
And, though my heart be broken,
Behold the golden token
That proves me happy now!

Would God I could awaken!
For I dream I know not how,
And my soul is sorely shaken
Lest an evil step be taken,--
Lest the dead who is forsaken
May not be happy now.

I didn't really understand this poem the first time through so I had to go do a little research and it clarified the situation for me. This is the poem of a woman who has married after her first lover died in battle. She feels she has betrayed him and is worried that her infidelity to their eternal love will make his soul unhappy. Yet she wants to be happy with her husband because he is kind and wealthy. Apparently this poem is unique in that Poe wrote in a woman's voice (which he almost never did) but I think really it's just his voice. I also found the amusing fact that a few different people called Poe out on the cheesy made up name "D'Elormie" which he obviously needed for the rhyme. Anyway, I really liked this poem and the angst of it. I think it's not so far-fetched.

I think for the next Poe Fridays short story, I will choose Mesmeric Revelation. I can't remember if it's more of a treatise on mesmerism (sort of like the diddling "story") or if there is an actual plot.

Feeling pity for the poor woman,
K