82. nepenthe: a name given in Homer's "Odyssey" to a drug
offered to Helen in Egypt, the effect of which was to banish all grief
and pain. Later the term was sometimes used for opium.
89. balm in Gilead. Gilead is a district on the banks of the
Jordan and the "balm" an herb of reputed medicinal value. The allusion
here is to Jeremiah viii.22: "Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no
physician there?" The lover means to ask if there is any remedy for
his sorrow, any consolation. Perhaps he means, "Is there any solace
after death?" or "Is there any solace either in this world or the
next?"
93. Aidenn: Eden, Paradise, from the Arabic form _Adn_; coined
by Poe for the rhyme.
101. This line, Poe said in "The Philosophy of Composition," first
betrays clearly the allegorical nature of the poem.
106. the lamp-light o'er him streaming. In answer to criticism
on this line, Poe explained, "My conception was that of the bracket
candelabrum affixed against the wall, high up above the door and bust,
as is often seen in the English palaces, and even in some of the
better houses of New York."
107, 108. In these last lines the allegory is fully revealed.