the island of_the Fay

by Edgar Allan Poe

Nullus enim locus sine genio EST .-- Servius .

"LA MUSIQUE," says Marmontel, in those "Contes Moraux" {*1} which in all our translations, we_have insisted upon calling " moral Tales," as_if in mockery of_their spirit -- "la musique EST le seul des talents qui jouissent de lui-meme; tous les autres veulent des temoins ." he here confounds the pleasure derivable from sweet sounds with_the capacity for creating them . no more than any_other talent, is_that for music susceptible of complete enjoyment, where there_is no second party to appreciate its exercise . and it_is only in common with other talents that_it produces effects which_may_be fully enjoyed in solitude . the idea which the raconteur has either failed to entertain clearly, or has sacrificed in its expression to_his national love of point, is, doubtless, the very tenable one that_the higher order of music is_the most thoroughly estimated when we_are exclusively alone . the proposition, in_this form, will_be admitted at once by_those who love the lyre for its own sake, and for its spiritual uses . but there_is one pleasure still within_the reach of fallen mortality and perhaps only_one -- which owes even more than does music to_the accessory sentiment of seclusion .I mean the happiness experienced in_the contemplation of natural scenery . in truth, the man who_would behold aright the glory of god upon earth must in solitude behold that glory . to_me, at_least, the presence -- not of human life only, but of life in any_other form than that of_the green things which grow upon_the soil and_are voiceless -- is a stain upon_the landscape -- is at war with_the genius of_the scene .I love, indeed, to regard the dark valleys, and_the gray rocks, and_the waters that silently smile, and_the forests that sigh in uneasy slumbers, and_the proud watchful mountains that look down upon all, -- I love to regard these as themselves but the colossal members of one vast animate and sentient whole -- a whole whose form ( that of_the sphere) is_the most perfect and most inclusive of all; whose path is among associate planets; whose meek handmaiden is_the moon, whose mediate sovereign is_the sun; whose life is eternity, whose thought is_that of a god; whose enjoyment is knowledge; whose destinies are lost in immensity, whose cognizance of ourselves is akin with_our own cognizance of_the animalculae which infest the brain -- a being which we, in consequence, regard as purely inanimate and material much in_the same manner as_these animalculae must thus regard us .

our telescopes and_our mathematical investigations assure us on every hand -- notwithstanding the cant of_the more ignorant of_the priesthood -- that space, and therefore that bulk, is an important consideration in_the eyes of_the almighty . the cycles in_which_the stars move are those best adapted for_the evolution, without collision, of_the greatest possible number of bodies . the forms of_those bodies are accurately such as, within a given surface, to include the greatest possible amount of matter; -- while the surfaces themselves are so disposed as_to accommodate a denser population than could_be accommodated on_the same surfaces otherwise arranged . nor is_it any argument against bulk being an object with god, that space itself is infinite; for there_may_be an infinity of matter to_fill it . and since we see clearly that_the endowment of matter with vitality is a principle -- indeed, as far as our judgments extend, the leading principle in_the operations of deity, -- it_is scarcely logical to imagine it confined to_the regions of_the minute, where we daily trace it, and not extending to_those of_the August . as we_find cycle within cycle without end, -- yet all revolving around one far- distant centre which_is the god- head, may we not analogically suppose in_the same manner, life within life, the less within_the greater, and all within_the spirit divine ? in short, we_are madly erring, through self- esteem, in believing man, in either his temporal or future destinies, to_be of more moment in_the universe than that vast " clod of_the valley" which he tills and contemns, and to_which he denies a soul for no more profound reason than that he_does_not behold it in operation .{*2}

these fancies, and such as_these, have always given to my meditations among_the mountains and_the forests, by_the rivers and_the ocean, a tinge of what the everyday world would_not fail to term fantastic . my wanderings amid such scenes have_been many, and far-searching, and often solitary; and_the interest with_which I_have strayed through many a dim, deep valley, or gazed into_the reflected heaven of many a bright lake, has_been an interest greatly deepened by_the thought that I_have strayed and gazed alone . what flippant Frenchman was_it who said in allusion to_the well- known work of Zimmerman, that, "la solitude EST une belle chose; mais il faut quelqu'un pour vous dire que la solitude EST une belle chose ? " the epigram cannot_be gainsayed; but the necessity is a thing that_does_not exist .

it_was during one of_my lonely journeyings, amid a far distant region of mountain locked within mountain, and sad rivers and melancholy tarn writhing or sleeping within all -- that I chanced upon a certain rivulet and island . I_came upon them suddenly in_the leafy June, and threw myself upon_the turf, beneath the branches of an unknown odorous shrub, that I_might doze as I contemplated the scene . I_felt that thus only should I look upon it -- such was_the character of phantasm which it wore .

on all sides -- save to_the west, where the sun was about sinking -- arose the verdant walls of_the forest . the little river which turned sharply in its course, and was thus immediately lost to sight, seemed to_have no exit from its prison, but to_be absorbed by_the deep green foliage of_the trees to_the east -- while in_the opposite quarter ( so it appeared to_me as I lay at_length and glanced upward) there poured down noiselessly and continuously into_the valley, a rich golden and crimson waterfall from_the sunset fountains of_the sky .

about midway in_the short vista which my dreamy vision took in, one small circular island, profusely verdured, reposed upon_the bosom of_the stream .

so blended bank and shadow there

that each seemed pendulous in air -- so mirror- like was_the glassy water, that_it_was scarcely possible to_say at what point upon_the slope of_the emerald turf its crystal dominion began .

my position enabled me to include in a single view both the eastern and western extremities of_the islet; and I observed a singularly- marked difference in their aspects . the latter was all one radiant harem of garden beauties . it glowed and blushed beneath the eyes of_the slant sunlight, and fairly laughed with flowers . the grass was short, springy, sweet- scented, and asphodel- interspersed . the trees were lithe, mirthful, erect -- bright, slender, and graceful, -- of eastern figure and foliage, with bark smooth, glossy, and parti- colored . there seemed a deep sense of life and joy about all; and although no airs blew from out the heavens, yet every thing had motion through_the gentle sweepings to and fro of innumerable butterflies, that might_have_been mistaken for tulips with wings .{*4}

the other or eastern end of_the isle was whelmed in_the blackest shade .asombre, yet beautiful and peaceful gloom here pervaded all things . the trees were dark in color, and mournful in form and attitude, wreathing themselves into sad, solemn, and spectral shapes that conveyed ideas of mortal sorrow and untimely death . the grass wore the deep tint of_the cypress, and_the heads of_its blades hung droopingly, and hither and thither among it were many small unsightly hillocks, low and narrow, and not very long, that had the aspect of graves, but were_not; although over and all about_them the rue and_the rosemary clambered . the shade of_the trees fell heavily upon_the water, and seemed to bury itself therein, impregnating the depths of_the element with darkness .I fancied that each shadow, as_the sun descended lower and lower, separated itself sullenly from_the trunk that gave it birth, and thus became absorbed by_the stream; while other shadows issued momently from_the trees, taking the place of_their predecessors thus entombed .

this idea, having once seized upon my fancy, greatly excited it, and I lost myself forthwith in revery ." if ever island were enchanted," said I to myself, " this_is it . this_is_the haunt of_the few gentle Fays who remain from_the wreck of_the race . are these green tombs theirs ? -- or do they yield up their sweet lives as mankind yield up their own ? in dying, do they not rather waste away mournfully, rendering unto god, little by little, their existence, as_these trees render up shadow after shadow, exhausting their substance unto dissolution ? what the wasting tree is to_the water that imbibes its shade, growing thus blacker by what it preys upon, may not the life of_the Fay be to_the death which engulfs it ? "

as I thus mused, with half- shut eyes, while the sun sank rapidly to rest, and eddying currents careered round and round the island, bearing upon their bosom large, dazzling, white flakes of_the bark of_the sycamore-flakes which, in their multiform positions upon_the water, a quick imagination might_have converted into any thing it pleased, while I thus mused, it appeared to_me that_the form of one of_those very Fays about whom I had_been pondering made its way slowly into_the darkness from out the light at_the western end of_the island . she stood erect in a singularly fragile canoe, and urged it with_the mere phantom of an oar . while within_the influence of_the lingering sunbeams, her attitude seemed indicative of joy -- but sorrow deformed it as she passed within_the shade . slowly she glided along, and at_length rounded the islet and re- entered the region of light ." the revolution which_has just been made by_the Fay," continued I, musingly, " is_the cycle of_the brief year of her life . she has floated through her winter and through her summer . she_is a year nearer unto death; for I_did_not fail to_see that, as she came into_the shade, her shadow fell from her, and was swallowed up in_the dark water, making its blackness more black ."

and again the boat appeared and_the Fay, but about_the attitude of_the latter there_was more of care and uncertainty and less of elastic joy . she floated again from out the light and into_the gloom ( which deepened momently) and again her shadow fell from her into_the ebony water, and became absorbed into its blackness . and again and again she made the circuit of_the island, ( while the sun rushed down to_his slumbers), and at each issuing into_the light there_was more sorrow about her person, while it grew feebler and far fainter and more indistinct, and at each passage into_the gloom there fell from her a darker shade, which became whelmed in a shadow more black . but at_length when_the sun had utterly departed, the Fay, now the mere ghost of her former self, went disconsolately with her boat into_the region of_the ebony flood, and_that she issued thence at all I cannot_say, for darkness fell over an things and I beheld her magical figure no more .