All wish for Heaven - is merged forevermore

Beneath the palpitating tide of passion

Heaped o'er my soul by thee. Its spells are broken

The pen falls powerless from my shivering hand

With that dear name as text I cannot write

I cannot speak - I cannot even think

Alas! I cannot feel; for 't is not feeling
This standing motionless upon the golden
Threshold of the wide-open gates of Dreams,
Gazing, entranced, adown the gorgeous vista,
And thrilling as I see upon the right-
Upon the left
and all the way along,

Amid the clouds of glory: far away

To where the prospect terminates

thee only.

SONNET (AN ENIGMA)

Sonnet, Union Magazine, March, 1848; Griswold, 1850 (An Enigma). Text, Union Magazine.

Variation of Griswold from the text:

10. Petrarchmanities: tuckermanities.

Note: The first letter of the first line, the second letter of the second line, etc., form the name Sarah Anna Lewis.

This poem was sent to Mrs. Lewis (Stella) in November, 1847, and Griswold's text follows that manuscript.

ΤΟ

"To Helen," Griswold, 1850. "The Poets and Poetry of America," 1855. Union Magazine, November, 1848.

Text, Union Magazine.

Variations of Griswold from text:

26. Insert after me: (Oh Heaven! oh, God! How my heart beats in coupling those two words!)

Notes: It is claimed that the lines given by Griswold were omitted from the Union Magazine, without Poe's authority. There appears no direct evidence for this however. The authority for Griswold's text is not found likewise his title "To Helen." He discarded his early

text, and followed that of the Union Magazine in revising his later edition of "The Poets and Poetry of America."

Poe is presumed to have sent the lines for publication in the following letter to Bayard Taylor, June 15, 1848: “I would feel greatly indebted to you if you could spare the time to look over the lines enclosed and let me know whether they will be accepted for 'the Union,' — if so what you can afford to pay for them and when they can appear."

This poem was addressed to Mrs. Sarah Helen Whitman. In the Union Magazine, line eighteen, the word "see" is printed for "saw."

A VALENTINE TO

Flag of Our Union, March 3, 1849; Sartain's Union Magazine, March, 1849.

Text, Flag of Our Union.

Variations of Sartain's Union Magazine from the text:

1. These lines are: this rhyme is.

13. This page whereon: the leaf where now.

14. Eyes scintillating soul, there lie perdus.

15. A well-known name: Three eloquent words.

Notes: The text is followed by the words "Valentine Eve, 1849."

A manuscript copy among the Griswold papers is as follows:

ΤΟ

For her these lines are penned, whose luminous eyes,

Bright and expressive as the stars of Leda,
Shall find her own sweet name, that, nestling, lies

Upon this page, enwrapped from every reader.
Search narrowly these words, which hold a treasure
Divine

a talisman - an amulet

That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure

The words

the letters themselves. Do not forget

The smallest point, or you may lose your labor.
And yet there is in this no Gordian knot
Which one might not undo without a sabre
If one could merely comprehend the plot.
Upon the open page on which are peering
Such sweet eyes now, there lies, I say, perdu
A musical name oft uttered in the hearing
Of poets, by poets for the name is a poet's too.
In common sequence set, the letters lying,
Compose a sound delighting all to hear
Ah, this you'd have no trouble in descrying

Were you not something of a dunce, my dear:

And now I leave these riddles to their Seer.

Saturday, Feb. 14, 46.

The name Frances Sargent Osgood is spelled incorrectly in the above lines. Another MS. copy in the Griswold collection dated Valentine's Eve, 1848, shows the following variations from the above:

A Valentine: By Edgar A. Poe. To:

I. these lines: this rhyme.

2. Bright, stars, Leda: Brightly, twins Loda.

4. this: the.

5. words, which: lines, they.

8. the letters themselves: the syllables.

9. smallest: trivialest.

13. Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering.

14. Eyes scintillating soul, their lie perdus.

15. A musical name: Three eloquent words.

After 16:-

Its letters, although naturally lying

(Like the knight Pinto - - Mendez Ferdinando —)

Still form a synonym for Truth. - cease trying!

You will not read the riddle though you do the best you can do.

The following foreword appeared in the Flag of Our Union :"At a Valentine Soirée, in New York, the following enigmatical lines were received, among others, and read aloud to the company. The verses were enclosed in an envelope, addressed 'TO HER WHOSE NAME IS WRITTEN WITHIN.' As no lady present could so read the riddle as

to find her name written in it the Valentine remained, and still remains, unclaimed. Can any of our readers of the Flug discover for whom it is intended?"

After the poem was the following note: "Should there be no solution furnished of the above, we will give the key next week."

It is evident that none of the readers sent in any answers, for in the issue of March 10 appears the following:

"The Key to the Valentine.

"To transcribe the address of the Valentine which appeared in our last paper from the pen of Edgar A. Poe, read the first letter of the first line in connection with the second letter of the second line, the third letter of the third line, the fourth of the fourth, and so on to the end. The name of our contributor Frances Sargent Osgood will appear."

FOR ANNIE

Flag of Our Union, April 28, 1849; Home Journal, April 28, 1849: Poe MS. Griswold, 1850; "The Poets and Poetry of America," 1855. Richmond Examiner, October, 1849.

Text, Richmond Examiner.

Variations from the text:

II. 1. Sadly I know I am. MS.; F. O. U.

Transpose stanzas IV and V, MS.; F. O. U.

IV. 3. Are quieted now with, MS.; Are quieted now; and the, F. O. U.

4. That: the. MS.; Horrible throbbing, F. O. U.

5. Ah: Oh. MS.; O, F. O. U.

VI. 1. Oh: Ah. MS.; F. O. U.

6. Passion: Glory. MS.; F. O. U. VII. 3. Spring: Fountain. F. O. U. VIII. 1. But: And. H. J.; Gr.; P. P. A.

And ah! let it never be. MS.; F. O. U. 2. Be: out. MS.; and F. O. U.

7. Sleep: italics out except Gr.; P. P. A. IX. 1. My tantalized spirit here. MS.

X. 2. It: I. MS.

3. A holier odor about me. MS.

4. Of pansy. MS.

6. Pansies: pansy. MS.

XI. 1. It: I. MS.

3. Truth: love. MS.; F. O. U.

XII. 5. Deeply to sleep from the. MS.; F. O. U.

6. From the out. MS.; F. O. U.

XIV. 3-7. Omit parenthesis. F. O. U.

XV. 3. In: of. All others except Gr.; Stars of the Heaven- for ft. MS.

5. Light: though. MS.; fire. F. O. U.

A manuscript copy of "For Annie" was sold at the Pierce sale in Philadelphia, May 6, 1903. "Annie" was Mrs. Richmond of Lowell, Massachusetts.

Poe complained that the Flag of Our Union misprinted the lines, for which reason he sent a corrected copy to the Home Journal. They seem, however, to have been published simultaneously. Poe sent to Mrs. Richmond a portion of his poem "A Dream Within A Dream," headed "For Annie." In his last revision of this poem he also changed the title, "To -" and unquestionably addressed the poem to "Annie."

SONNET TO MY MOTHER

Flag of Our Union, July 7, "To My Mother," 1849; Richmond Examiner, October, 1849; Southern Literary Messenger, December, 1849; Leaflets of Memory, Philadelphia, 1850; Griswold, 1850.

Text, Southern Literary Messenger.

Variations from the text:

1. The angels: I feel that. F. O. U.; Gr.

2. Devoutly singing unto: The angels whispering to. F. O. U.; Gr.

3. Amid: among. F. O. U.; Gr.

5. Sweet: dear. Gr.

7. Filling: And fill; God: Death, F. O. U.; Gr.

9. My: Omit italics. F. O. U.; Gr.

II. dead: one. F. O. U.; Gr.

12. And thus are dearer than the mother I knew. F. O. U.; Gr. Notes: This poem refers to his mother-in-law, who was also his aunt- - Mrs. Clemm. The Examiner text follows the Southern Literary Messenger. The Leaflets of Memory has one change in punctuation. The sonnet is introduced in the Southern Literary Messenger as follows: "One of the most touching of the compositions of poor Poe is the Sonnet to his Mother-in-law. It bears the impress of sincere feeling, and seems