Poems By Edgar Allan Poe - The Valley of Unrest (1831)

The Valley of Unrest (1831)

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
  • The Valley Nis
  • The Valley of Unrest

Though first published as "The Valley Nis" in Poems by Edgar A. Poe in 1831, this poem evolved into the version "The Valley of Unrest" now anthologized. In its original version, the speaker asks if all things lovely are far away, and that the valley is part Satan, part angel, and a large part broken heart. It mentions a woman named "Helen," which may actually refer to Jane Stanard, one of Poe's first loves and the mother of a friend.

The poem was renamed "The Valley of Unrest" for the April 1845 issue of the American Review. This version of the poem is shorter and quite different from its predecessor, and there is no mention of "Helen".

Read more about this topic:  Poems By Edgar Allan Poe

Famous quotes containing the words valley and/or unrest:

    Down in the valley,
    Valley so low,
    Hang your head over,
    Hear the train blow.
    —Unknown. Down in the Valley (l. 1–4)

    ... the modern drama, operating through the double channel of dramatist and interpreter, affecting as it does both mind and heart, is the strongest force in developing social discontent, swelling the powerful tide of unrest that sweeps onward and over the dam of ignorance, prejudice, and superstition.
    Emma Goldman (1869–1940)