ligeia by edgar allan poe

We can view Ligeia in two different ways in relation to the author. Seen one way, Ligeia could represent Poe's concept of the ideal woman, who is strong, intelligent, and beautiful. Physically, this position is almost certainly true, as Ligeia reflects the popular depiction of a striking woman with one strange but compelling feature and an almost consumptive appearance. At the same time, Ligeia could also in spirit and mental faculties be the manifestation of Poe's ideal self, since an author of the early nineteenth century would not necessarily have viewed such a dominant, powerful woman as reflecting feminine perfection. On the feminine outside, she appears placid and passive, but her masculine soul is intellectual and willful. Poe even gives the authorship of his poem to her, thus creating a parallel between himself and the passionate, creative Ligeia. Poe's celebration of intellect and artistry in the stories of C. Auguste Dupin are as present in Ligeia as his understanding of Romantic beauty.