Text: Edgar Allan Poe, “Sonnet — to My Mother” (comparative text - WORKS and Leaflets of Memory)

 

Title: {{1849-01: TO MY MOTHER. //1849-02: SONNET TO MY MOTHER. }}

 

Byline: {{1849-02: BY EDGAR A. POE. }}

 

Rule: {{1849-01: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ }}

 

Line-01-001 BECAUSE {{1849-01: I feel that, //1849-02: the angels }} in the Heavens above,

Line-01-002 [[indent]] {{1849-01: The angels, whispering to //1849-02: Devoutly singing unto }} one another,

Line-01-003 Can find, {{1849-01: among //1849-02: amid }} their burning terms of love,

Line-01-004 [[indent]] None so devotional as that of “  {{1849-01: Mother //1849-02: mother }} ,”

Line-01-005 Therefore by that {{1849-01: dear //1850-02: sweet }} name I long have called you {{1849-01: — //1850-02: , }}

Line-01-006 [[indent]] You who are more than mother unto me,

Line-01-007 {{1849-01: And fill //1850-02: Filling }} my heart of hearts, where {{1849-01: Death //1850-02: God }} installed you {{1849-02: , }}

Line-01-008 [[indent]] In setting my Virginia's spirit free.

Line-01-009 {{1849-01: My //1850-02: My }} mother — my own mother, who died early,

Line-01-010 [[indent]] Was but the mother of myself; but you

Line-01-011 Are mother to the {{1849-01: one //1850-02: dead }} I loved so dearly,

Line-01-012 [[indent]] {{1849-01: And //1850-02: Are }} thus {{1849-01: are dearer //1850-02: more precious }} than the {{1849-01: mother //1850-02: one }} I knew {{1849-02: , }}

Line-01-013 By that infinity with which my wife

Line-01-014 {{1849-01: [[indent]] }} Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life.