The Lake

“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe (1845)

While “The Lake” is a lesser-known, early poem of Poe’s, “The Raven” is Poe’s most famous poem. It has been referenced widely in movies, television, and other media. “The Raven” is much longer than “The Lake,” both in line length and number of stanzas. However, both poems include terror and loneliness. In “The Raven,” the speaker experiences “fantastic terrors” (Line 14). These can be compared to the “terror” in “The Lake,” which was “not fright, / But a tremulous delight” (Lines 13-14). Both poems are interested in Hauntology and the Supernatural. Additionally, the speaker of “The Raven” says, “Leave my loneliness unbroken!” (Line 100). Loneliness is desired in both poems. In “The Lake,” the speaker loves “the loneliness / Of a wild lake” (Lines 4-5).

“Ulalume” by Edgar Allan Poe (1847)

Both “Ulalume” and “The Lake” feature a dim lake. However, the one mentioned in “Ulalume” is the “dim lake of Auber” (Line 6). “Ulalume” is another poem by Poe that includes terror. Psyche “[i]n terror [...] spoke” (Line 56) before reaching the tomb of Ulalume. This tomb can be compared to the “grave” (Line 19) in “The Lake.