“Morella” (1835) is described by T.O. Mabbott as “one of the great stories in Poe’s early Arabesque manner” (

2:221). The tale makes use of the theory of “metempsychosis”, also of the “superstition that gods and men must answer when their right names are spoken” (2:221). The name of the narrator’s wife is taken from that of a real person, Juliana Morella, celebrated in Spain in the first half of the 17th century for her powers of mind; she knew fourteen languages and eventually entered the convent of St. Praxedia at Avignon (2:221-2). The lady is now known, according to the

(1911), as the “Venerable Mother Juliana Morell” (qtd. in

2:222). The wife’s name is appropriate suggests Mabbott for “‘morel’ is one of the names of the…

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Citation: Sucur, Slobodan. "Morella". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 November 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38907, accessed 26 November 2024.]