Text: Edgar Allan Poe (ed. Killis Campbell), “The Lake: To ——,” The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, Ginn and Company, 1917, pp. 32-33


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[page 32:]

THE LAKE: TO ——   [[n]]   [[v]]

[[v]]

[[n]]

In spring of youth it was my lot

[[v]]

To haunt of the wide earth a spot

The which I could not love the less —

So lovely was the loneliness

5

[[n]]

Of a wild lake, with black rock bound,

[[v]]

And the tall pines that towered around.

But when the Night had thrown her pall

Upon that spot, as upon all,

[[v]]

And the mystic wind went by

10

[[v]]

[[n]]

Murmuring in melody —

[[v]]

[[n]]

Then — ah then I would awake

[[v]]

To the terror of the lone lake.

Yet that terror was not fright,

But a tremulous delight —

15

[[v]]

A feeling not the jewelled mine

[[v]]

Could teach or bribe me to define —

[[v]]

Nor Love — although the Love were thine. [page 33:]

[[v]]

Death was in that poisonous wave,

[[n]]

And in its gulf a fitting grave

20

[[v]]

For him who thence could solace bring

[[v]]

[[n]]

To his lone imagining —

[[v]]

Whose solitary soul could make

[[n]]

An Eden of that dim lake.

(1827)

 


[[Variants]]

[The following variants appear at the bottom of page 32:]

Title The Lake (1827); omitted in 1831, the poem being incorporated in Tamerlane (after l. 74).

1 In spring of youth: In youth's spring (1827, 1829, M. M.), For in those days (1831).

2 world: earth (1827).

6 tall: sultan-like (1831).

9 mystic wind went: wind would pass me (1827), black wind mumur’d (1829, 1831), ghastly wind went (M.M.).

10 Murmuring in: In its stilly, (1827), In a dirge of (1829, 1831), In a dirge-like (M.M.).

11 Then — ah, then, I: My infant spirit (1827, 1829, 1831).

12 the lone: that lone (1831, M. M.).

15 And a feeling undefin’d (1827).

16 Could teach or: Should ever (1829), Could ever (1831).

16, 17 Springing from a darken’d mind (1827).

17 were: be (1829); although the love: Ada! tho’ it (1831).

[The following variants appear at the bottom of page 33:]

18 poisonous: poison’d (1827, 1829, M. M.).

18, 19 Omitted in 1831.

20 How could I from that water bring (1831).

21 lone: dark (1827) ; Solace to my imagining (1831).

22 Whose wild’ring thought could even make (1829); My solitary soul — how make (1831).

 


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Notes:

None.

 

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[S:0 - KCP, 1917] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Works - The Lake: To ---- (ed. K. Campbell, 1917)