Some poems are written to be read. They are written for fun or enjoyment. But some are written as an outlet to pour out the soul and mind of a poet condensed into a piece of paper with some thoughtfully placed lines. “Alone” by Edgar Allan Poe was one of these poems. Following his death, this poem written by the famous poet was found in the possession of a family in Baltimore dated 1829. It was never before seen by the public. It was published in 1875 and has baffled many through the centuries. Poe’s use of literary devices and tone deliver his words and the message of the poem with a greater impact.

To understand the meaning of the poem in depth, it is necessary to understand Edgar Allan Poe’s background. Poe’s life was fraught with misfortunes and tragedy. He had a strained relationship with his father and suffered the loss of his childhood love, wife, mother, and foster mother all due to tuberculosis. As a young boy, he loved composing poems for his loved ones, but as an adult, his troubled life and endurement of psychological trauma is reflected in his darker literary works. Throughout his life, he faced alienation and loneliness, feeling isolated from other people. While some of his basic experiences may have held similarity to his peers’, his interpretations of even them consistently differed. That is the main concept conveyed in his poem “Alone.” 

Poe makes use of different devices or writing techniques. A technique he uses is an AABB rhyme pattern, with the last word of each line rhyming with the next in its pair. This leaves an echoing effect on the reader, allowing the poem to be more memorable and evocative. Its gives each coupling of lines a ring to it that is both efficient in conveying the message, and pleasing to hear or read. It is also predictable yet waited for which creates a sense of tension or suspense, which fits the mood of this poem. For example, when Poe wrote, “From the lightning in the sky; As it pass’d me flying by—,” it leaves the imagery of lightning flying by in the mind of the reader as they continue the poem, efficiently creating and keeping the dark setting and tone taken from this line. His use of dashes is also important in the poem. The M dash during lines or at the end of (most of) them gives a feeling of interruption or pause which implies a continuation of the thought into the next line. This enunciates the raw emotion this poem communicates as if the whole poem is just a few unfiltered thoughts 

Using tone, Poe related a sense of comfort in the loneliness he felt. While he introduces the portrayal of his unique views as negative, by the end, his tone towards his isolation becomes almost romantic and is conveyed with a sense of contentedness.  Him loving alone as he mentions in the line “And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone—,”  brings a sad and desperate tone to the poem, but he continues describing the beautiful parts of daily life like “From the sun that ’round me roll’d; In its autumn tint of gold—” the tone changes from being empty and dark to more of a warm comfort in the raw parts of nature.

Though the idea Poe had while writing this poem was that he was unlike his peers and “alone” as the title suggests, many readers can find themselves relating to the feeling of loneliness and being unable to fit in. Even if personal experiences and views of the world differ, almost everyone has felt isolated and disconnected from the rest of society at least once before. Edgar Allan Poe puts this idea into his poem using the many elements mentioned above.