Name: Mochamad Akhdan

NIM : 2013060692
Class : 06SIGBP/K.415

POETRY

A DECONSTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS ON EDGAR ALLAN

POES ELDORADO

I. INTRODUCTION

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is an American writer, editor, and

literary critic. He is best known for his gothic short stories and
poetic works. His works commonly revolve around the love, death,
uncertainty, and subconscious self. A signature style of his works is
that he often uses unreliable narrator to deliver the story in different
approach in order to cover what actually happen.
The approach that will be used by the writer is deconstruction.
Deconstruction is an approach of understanding the context and
finds the contradictions of a text by a deeper reading. Guerin, et al
(2005:277) stated that, in deconstruction, texts are found to
deconstruct themselves rather than to provide a stable identifiable
meaning.
In this paper, the writer wants to deconstruct one of the many
notable poems of Poe, Eldorado (1849), which is an allegory for the
progression of human life. We would see how the text deconstructs
itself and make a whole new meaning in this positive-meaning
poem.

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II. DISCUSSION

Eldorado (1849) by Edgar Allan Poe

GAILY bedight, 1
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado. 6

But he grew old -- 7

This knight so bold --
And o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado. 12

And, as his strength 13

Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow --
"Shadow," said he,
"Where can it be --
This land of Eldorado?" 18

"Over the Mountains 19

Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied, --
"If you seek for Eldorado!" 24

a. The general analysis

The main character in this poem is represented by a knight (line
2) who is in a quest of finding Eldorado (line 6) a legend about
legendary city of gold. He travels enthusiastically and with a great
spirit as he gaily bedight (line 1) and singing a song (line 5). The

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quest takes a long time journey as the narrator stated that the
knight had journeyed in sunshine and in shadow (line 3). Later on,
time was passing by as the knight grew old (Line 7). He started to
doubt that he could find the Eldorado (line 9 -12).

Finally, he reached his breaking point as his strength failed him

(line 13-14). Pilgrim shadow (line 15) whom he met might be a
representation of his other self since the second stanza tells that a
shadow started to conceal his heart. In deep frustration and
desperation of never found the Eldorado, the knight asked the
shadow about the location (line 16-18). The shadow showed the
location. Mountains of the Moon (line 19) is also a legendary place
in Africa and therefore, it is a non exist location just as same as the
Eldorado. The Valley of the Shadow (line 21) is a symbolic
description of death. After showing that the location is still far away,
or even impossible, the shadow then instructed him to keep going if
he still wanted to find the Eldorado (line 22-24).

b. The contradiction
The first stanza in gaily bedight a gallant knight (line 1-2), we
know that the knight started his journey enthusiastically. He is not
actually as confident as that. He had journeyed long in sunshine
and in shadow (line 3), we could interpret the sunshine as a power,
passion, higher self, or a state of confidence; and we could interpret
the shadow as opposite side of his feeling. So, we could say that our
hero started the journey with doubt. It even became worse if we
continue to next line that he is singing a song (line 5). In the such
mental condition of doubt, singing a song could be best interpreted
as a way to get rid of the nervous and fear. Now we know that the
knight is emotionally unstable.

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 The second stanza reveals that he grew old (line 7). The old
here could be physically or mentally decay. Since there is no time
indicator which indicates how much time had passed after the event
in the first stanza; and since the first stanza moves instantly to the
second stanza, it is best to say that it was not taking a long time
before the knights spirit decayed. And oer his heart a shadow fell
(line 9-10) shows that the doubt and fear started to overcome his
soul. His condition became worse as he realize that couldnt find
even a single place which is looked like Eldorado (line 10-12).

The third stanza shows that he was exhausted and began to talk
to a pilgrim shadow, which is his other self, and ask for the location
of the Eldorado. It clearly shows how the knight is breakdown
mentally and very frustrated.

The shadow replied in the last stanza that the location is over
the Mountains of the Moon (line 19-20) and down the Valley of the
Shadow (line 21). Both locations of course absolutely not exist
geographically in life. The shadow then close the poem with it
encourages the knight to keep on searching for the Eldorado if he
really craves for it. Because the location which is pointed by the
shadow is not make any sense, we could conclude that his other self
wants him to keep on searching blindly no matter what.

III. CONCLUSION

a. The general accepted analysis

The poem could simply tell about a man who is in journey of
finding his idealism. In the last part, the poem tells that there are no
such things in life. However, the poem concludes that even though
that there are no such ideal things in life, we should not stop and

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 give up on trying because there is a hope that we could achieve it
someday in somewhere.

b. The deconstructed analysis

The poem simply deconstructs itself since the beginning to the
end of the poem. It tells about how a desire of something ideal
could turns swiftly to be an obsession, and obsession causes
madness in a man. The poem concludes that we should stop looking
for ideal things in life because such things are not to be pursued as
it could have negative impacts on a person.
REFERENCE

Eldorado by Edgar Allan Poe. PoeStories.com. Retrieved on August 21, 2016 from
http://poestories.com/read/eldorado

Guerin, Wilfred L. 2005. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. New York:

Oxford University Press

Unknown author (2015). Eldorado, a poem analysis. shadow of iris. Retrieved on

August 21, 2016 from http://www.shadowofiris.com/eldorado-edgar-allan-poe-poem-
analysis/

Poes Poetry Summary and Analysis of Eldorado. GradeSaver. Retrieved on August

21, 2016 from http://www.gradesaver.com/poes-poetry/study-guide/summary-
eldorado

Poes Poetry Themes. GradeSaver. Retrieved on August 21, 2016 from

http://www.gradesaver.com/poes-poetry/study-guide/themes

Lorcher, Trent (2012). Edgar Allan Poe Poems: An Analysis of Eldorado. Bright Hub
Education. Retrieved on August 21, 2016 from
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/50405-eldorado-by-
edgar-allan-poe-analysis/

Panek, Joseph (2011). The Shadow (Symbol, Myth, and Metaphor). A Seekers
Thoughts. Retrieved on August 21, 2106 from
http://www.aseekersthoughts.com/2011/02/shadow-symbol-myth-and-
metaphor.html