Edgar Allan Poe

Eulalie

Summary

This lyrical poem celebrates the transformative power of love through the narrator's profound admiration for Eulalie, his bride. The speaker describes his world before meeting Eulalie as desolate and stagnant, but her presence and their union bring light and joy into his life. Eulalie's beauty and essence are portrayed as unmatched in brilliance and purity, surpassing even the celestial bodies and nature's wonders. The narrator expresses how Eulalie's love banishes doubts and pain, filling his days with brightness and strength, akin to a guiding star. The poem underscores the themes of rejuvenation and fulfillment through romantic love, portraying Eulalie as an idealized figure whose influence transforms her partner's life.

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I dwelt alone
In a world of moan,
And my soul was a stagnant tide,
Till the fair and gentle Eulalie became my blushing bride—
Till the yellow-haired young Eulalie became my smiling bride.

Ah, less—less bright
The stars of the night
Than the eyes of the radiant girl!
And never a flake
That the vapour can make
With the moon-tints of purple and pearl,
Can vie with the modest Eulalie’s most unregarded curl—
Can compare with the bright-eyed Eulalie’s most humble and careless curl.

Now Doubt—now Pain
Come never again,
For her soul gives me sigh for sigh,
And all day long
Shines, bright and strong,
Astarté within the sky,
While ever to her dear Eulalie upturns her matron eye—
While ever to her young Eulalie upturns her violet eye.

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