The Lake Poem by Edgar Allan Poe

1.
Read this poem by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1827, and match the
highlighted words to their meanings below.
In spring of youth it was my lot

To haunt of the wide earth a spot
The which I could not love the less—
So lovely was the loneliness
Of a wild lake, with black rock bound,
And the tall pines that towered around.
But when the Night had thrown her pall

Upon that spot, as upon all,
And the mystic wind went by
Murmuring in melody—
Then—ah then I would awake
To the terror of the lone lake.
Yet that terror was not fright,

But a tremulous delight—
A feeling not the jewelled mine
Could teach or bribe me to define—
Nor Love—although the Love were thine.
Death was in that poisonous wave,

And in its gulf a fitting grave
For him who thence could solace bring
To his lone imagining—
Whose solitary soul could make
An Eden of that dim lake.
yours (possessive pronoun)

surrounded, limited
the garden of paradise, in the Bible
to visit very often
a dark cloth that covers a coffin at a funeral
to give someone money or a present in exchange for a favour
a person’s fortune or fate
supernatural, spiritual, mysterious
a place
a sudden feeling of shock or fear
dark and gloomy, not bright
comfort or help when you are feeling sad or worried
alone, lonely
iSLCollective.com
2. Now that you have read the poem, how would you describe the lake Poe
talks about?
You can choose some of these words to help you, or think of others.
spooky beautiful mysterious frightening relaxing
Discuss with your classmates about your choices, and give reasons for
each choice.
3. Now, you’re going to read an article about Lake Drummond, which

served as inspiration for the poem by Poe. Read the article and answer
the questions.
The Haunting Truth behind ‘The Lake’ by Edgar Allan Poe

by Adam Burgess
Poe First published “The Lake” in his 1827 collection “Tamerlane and Other Poems,”
but it appeared again two years later in the collection “Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor
Poems” with a mysterious dedication added to the title: “The Lake. To--.”
The subject of Poe’s dedication remains unidentified to this day. Historians have
suggested Poe wrote the poem about Lake Drummond – and that he might have visited
Lake Drummond with his foster mother, but the poem was published after her death.
The lake outside Norfolk, Virginia, also known as the Great Dismal Swamp, was said to
have been haunted by two past lovers. The supposed ghosts were not thought of as
malicious or evil, but tragic – the boy had gone mad in the belief the girl had died.
A Haunted Lake
Lake Drummond was said to be haunted by the spirits of a young Native American
couple who lost their lives on the lake. The young woman reportedly died on their
wedding day, and the young man, driven mad by visions of her paddling on the lake,
drowned in his attempts to reach her.
According to one report, local legend says that “if you go into the Great Dismal Swamp
late at night you’ll see the image of a woman paddling a white canoe on a lake with a
lamp.” This woman became known locally as the Lady of the Lake, which has given
inspiration to a slew of famous writers over the years.
Robert Frost was said to have visited the central Lake Drummond in 1894 after
suffering a heartbreak from splitting up with a longtime lover, and he later told a
biographer that he had hoped to get lost in the wilderness of the swamp, and never to
return. Although the haunting stories may be fictional, the beautiful scenery and lush
wildlife of this Virginia lake and surrounding swamp draw many visitors every year.
iSLCollective.com
Poe’s Use of Contrast
One of the things that stands out in the poem is the way Poe contrasts the dark imagery
and danger of the lake with a feeling of contentment and even pleasure in the thrill of
his surroundings. He refers to the “loneliness” as “lovely,” and later describes his
“delight” at waking to “the terror on the lone lake.”
Poe draws on the legend of the lake to tap into its inherent dangers, but at the same time
he revels in the beauty of the nature surrounding him. The poem closes with Poe’s
exploration of the circle of life. Though he refers to “death” in a “poisonous wave,” he
describes its location as “Eden,” an obvious symbol for the emergence of life.
- What is mysterious about Poe’s dedication of the poem?
- Who haunted Lake Drummond in Virginia?
- How did the young man die?
- Who is the Lady of the Lake?
- What was Robert Frost’s intention, when he visited the lake?
- What is the most remarkable element about Poe’s poem?
iSLCollective.com
The text of the article was taken from
https://www.thoughtco.com/edgar-allan-poes-poem-the-lake-741067
and its author is Adam Burgess.
ANSWER KEY
THINE yours (possessive pronoun)

BOUND surrounded, limited
EDEN the garden of paradise, in the Bible
HAUNT to visit very often
PALL a dark cloth that covers a coffin at a funeral
BRIBE to give someone money or a present in exchange for a favour
LOT a person’s fortune or fate
MYSTIC supernatural, spiritual, mysterious
SPOT a place
FRIGHT a sudden feeling of shock or fear
DIM dark and gloomy, not bright
SOLACE comfort or help when you are feeling sad or worried
LONE alone, lonely
- The dedication is mysterious because its subject has remained

unidentified.
- Lake Drummond was said to be haunted by the spirits of a young Native
American couple.
- The young man was driven mad by the visions of his bride, and drowned
in the lake trying to reach her.
- The Lady of the Lake is an alleged apparition of a young woman
paddling a white canoe on the lake.
- Robert Frost wanted to get lost in the wilderness surrounding the swamp,
and never to return.
- The remarkable element of Poe’s poem is his contrast between the
danger and terror of the lake and the delightful and pleasurable feelings
the poet draws from the nature surrounding the lake. There is also a
strong contrast between death and life in the last lines of the poem.
iSLCollective.com

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1.

In spring of youth it was my lot

But when the Night had thrown her pall

Yet that terror was not fright,

Death was in that poisonous wave,

yours (possessive pronoun)

spooky beautiful mysterious frightening relaxing

3. Now, you’re going to read an article about Lake Drummond, which

The Haunting Truth behind ‘The Lake’ by Edgar Allan Poe

- What is mysterious about Poe’s dedication of the poem?

- Who haunted Lake Drummond in Virginia?

- How did the young man die?

- Who is the Lady of the Lake?

- What was Robert Frost’s intention, when he visited the lake?

- What is the most remarkable element about Poe’s poem?

and its author is Adam Burgess.

THINE yours (possessive pronoun)

- The dedication is mysterious because its subject has remained

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