Poe's Poetry Lesson Plan

In “Ulalume,” the narrator refers to himself in the plural tense repeatedly, referring to “Psyche” leading him in certain directions. What does “Psyche” represent? What makes the distinction between Psyche and the narrator important for the poem’s meaning?

Students may answer this question a variety of ways that could be correct predictions based on a broader understanding of Poe’s work, so it is important to encourage the students to use direct text examples from “Ulalume.” In this poem, “Psyche” represents the narrator’s subconscious self—his intuition that wants to protect him from further grief. The fact that “Psyche” is explicitly personified in the poem both...