The Dangers of Unchecked Imagination in “Ligeia” Alexa Stephens College

“Ligeia”, published in 1838 by Edgar Allan Poe, describes the tale of a narrator who is deeply enthralled by his own imagination and thoughts and is submersed in the act of escaping reality. This cautionary tale warns readers about the dangers of unchecked imagination and the problems that arise from the intertwining between fantasy and the real world. Through an internal struggle turned outward, the narrator’s actions prove to be fatal for others. Due to an excessive use of opium propelled by the need to escape reality, the narrator dangerously allows his ideas and thoughts to manifest into a female mirage whom he cannot bare to live without.

Ligeia, through her mysterious description, is proved to be a creation of the narrator’s mind. Although appearing at the surface to be a real woman, small details lead to the belief that Ligeia is nothing but a mirage. The narrator is deeply in love with Ligeia, but cannot recall significant aspects of her life. For example, the narrator cannot remember in the slightest the moment in which he met Ligeia: “The character of my beloved, her rare learning, her singular yet placid cast of beauty, and the thrilling and enthralling eloquence of her low, musical language, made their way into my...