Elizabeth

by Edgar Allan Poe — a poem card from Justes Mots

A playful, whimsical dedication poem asserting that the subject's name should come first in her own book, celebrating her importance and the poet's devotion. The poem humorously invokes classical logic while paradoxically breaking rules through its contradictory tone. It serves as a lighthearted romantic tribute emphasizing the primacy of the beloved in the poet's heart.

Elizabeth, it surely is most fit
[Logic and common usage so commanding]
In thy own book that first thy name be writ,
Zeno and other sages notwithstanding;
And I have other reasons for so doing
Besides my innate love of contradiction;
Each poet, if a poet, in pursuing
The muses thro' their bowers of Truth or Fiction,…

Themes: love · new-baby · wedding · friendship