The City in the Sea

"The City in the Sea" by Edgar Allan Poe depicts a haunting, timeless metropolis submerged beneath the ocean, symbolizing death and eternal decay. The city, once lively and grand, now lies silent and forgotten beneath the waves, with its ruler—sometimes interpreted as Death—still reigning over its ghostly remains. The poem uses vivid imagery to evoke a somber, otherworldly scene, suggesting that death ultimately claims all human achievements, reducing them to ruins beneath the sea. It explores themes of mortality, the impermanence of worldly power, and the inevitable return to the natural, oceanic realm.