Poetry of Escape in Freneau, Bryant, and Poe Poems Allie Moustris College

The theme of escape has long been regarded as a powerful and timeless one in various works of literature, and in poetry more specifically. Escapism is a dominant and prevailing topic in poetry as it reveals an alternative existence to living a life of struggle, hardship, and sadness. Escapism can be sought through dreams where the reality of day to day life can temporarily be evaded, through nature where peace and solace can be found, or even through belief in religion where trusting in faith can help one surpass current challenges. Poets Philip Freneau, William Cullen Bryant, and Edgar Allan Poe all seem to address the enduring theme of escape in their own poetry as they examine the ways in which life can present situations that require one to indulge in escapism as dark and harsh realities become too much to endure. Freneau uses fancy and imagination to describe the power of escape, Bryant utilizes nature as a means of escape as harmony and stillness can be found among it, and Poe focuses on dreaming as a way to escape the harshness of one’s daily existence.

In Philip Freneau’s poem, “The Power of Fancy," the poet centers on the theme of escapism through the celebration of fancy and the power of imagination. Freneau opens the...