Period Analysis; Elenora, by Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allen Poes short story Eleonora has a reasonably straightforward plot; the
young protagonist falls in love, his love interest dies, he swears to never love again, and then he
falls for another anyway. This characteristic (the presence of an engaging, straightforward plot) is
but one of many that helps to categorize the story as a member of the romantic literary period.
Eleonora has a number of different qualities that are representative of Romanticism, exhibiting
only one aspect that is representative of a different literary period. As a whole, it is clear that
Poes short story belongs to the romantic era.
Almost immediately readers can pick up on Poes excessive use of superlatives. Once the
narrator falls in love, everything becomes more beautiful and pleasant. He says that the sights
and sounds of the valley in which he and Eleonora spend their time are brighter, sweeter, and
more divine than anything else hes been exposed to, except for Eleonora herself. The narrator
believes she is lovelier than other girls, with her beauty being comparable to that of the highest
order of angels. He also describes his second love, Eremengarde, as possessing otherworldly
beauty and calls her an angel several times.
Eleonora is full of heavy emotion, as most romantic literature is. The narrator falls
deeply in love, suffers with depression after the loss of this love, and then falls into love again.
This second love with Eremengarde is so profound that the narrator questions the authenticity
and depth of the love he held for Eleonora. His old, young love seems to pale in comparison to
the fervor, delirium, and spirit-lifting adoration, that pours from his soul for Eremengarde.
As an extension of the outpouring of emotion that is characteristic of Romantic works,
there also tends to be more openness in discussing taboo topics such as sex and violence. The
former is moderately present in Eleonora. When the narrator sees Eremengarde, he says that he

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is stunned by the burning thoughts and terrible temptations that he possesses. This isnt
necessarily an obvious, descriptive approach to the sex topic, but the allusion is definitely there.
Another characteristic of romantic literature that is abundant in Poes story is the
emphasis of nature. The majority of the plot takes place in what the narrator calls the Valley of
the Many-Colored Grass. According to him, this valley is a place of extreme magnificence. He
describes the profound colors, sweet sounds, and pleasant animal life that he sees within the
Valley of the Many-Colored Grass. This descriptiveness helps depict Eleonora as the colorful
cartoon that is common in the romantic period. The protagonist also describes a visible,
negative shift in the natures beauty after Eleonoras death that helps portray the depth of his
depression. The beauty of the nature in the valley is linked to his emotions, and both fall to one
extreme or the other.
The plot of Eleonora is highly dependent on Eleonoras death, which is another tie to
Romanticism. It is common for literature from that period to emphasize the fragility of women
and children. Due to her age, Eleonora falls into both of these categories.
Romantic works also tend to have a fascination with the supernatural. This aspect is also
apparent in Poes story. After Eleonora dies, the narrator says that he can sense frequent
indications of her presence. He experiences sounds, smells, and even feelings of supernatural
touch. He believes these are signs that Eleonora sends him from behind the grave.
Romanticism is known for its shift from honors to manners. Heroes are no longer just
parts of aristocracy; anyone who is bold and follows his heart can be one. By this definition, the
narrator of the story is a hero and the story itself, therefore, is representative of this shift. The
narrator definitely follows his heart, given that the most apparent theme of the story is love and
his rising and falling actions are related to love. He boldly declares to the Mighty Ruler of the

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Universe that he will not love anyone other then Eleonora and then he boldly professes his love
of Eremengarde, in tears, at her feet.
The one aspect of Poes story that doesnt fall directly into the Romantic category is his
mention of God, His Glory, and His role as the Mighty Ruler of the Universe. Romanticism is
known for being more secular than the previous literary periods and exhibiting a shift away from
religious themes. Granted, there is not an abundance of religious allusions or Biblical morals
present in Eleonora, but a slight allusion of these beliefs is still present. However, it could be
argued that the story exhibits a metaphorical representation of this shift. The narrator sees Gods
glory through the beauty of the valley, but that beauty eventually fades with Eleonoras death. He
declares his vow to never love again to God, but then he breaks that vow. This could allude to the
loss of religious themes in Romantic works because of the way in which the story cancels out
any of the narrators previous religious claims.
Despite this potential divergence in Poes story and romantic characteristics, its still
overwhelmingly obvious that Eleonora is representative of Romanticism. The authors usage of
superlatives, extreme emotion, nature, emphasis on the fragility of women, the supernatural, and
manners links this story to the romantic period and makes it fall under the Romanticism category.

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Bibliography
Poe,EdgarAllan."EleonorabyEdgarAllanPoe."Eleonora.1850.
PoeStories.com.Design215Inc.Web.30Sept.2015.

Wang,Michael."Romanticism."Week2.SpringHillCollege,Mobile.2
Sept.2015.Lecture.