The symbolic significance of the life and death of Antony and Cleopatra in selected literary texts by Alice Cary and W.H. Lytle and their influence on Western thought

Alice Cary's “Death of Cleopatra” (1850) and W. H. Lytle's “Antony to Cleopatra” (1858), share several characteristics that are distinctive of pre-colonial poetry. Their poems represent the Orientalists’ view of the Orient as an exotic and magical place but, at the same time, the death and defeat of the goddess Queen signifies the end of the antique civilization. The studied poems are pre-colonial as they were written before the commencement of the British colonization of Egypt. Previous studies have mostly dealt with the image of the Orient during colonialism and after, post colonialism. However, examining pre-colonial works would lead to a wider understanding of the West and their justifications and reasons that paved the way for imperialism and colonialism. Thus, Alice Cary's “Death of Cleopatra” (1850) and W. H. Lytle's “Antony to Cleopatra” (1858) are studied in the current paper, focusing on the symbolic significance of the life and death of Antony and Cleopatra and their influence on Western thought. Alice Cary (1820-1871) was an American writer, whose work is well known and very well received around the world. She was characterized by her vivid imagery and lively  woven themes. Like Cary, William Haines Lytle (1826-1863) was also an American writer. Lytle was a soldier all his life and was appointed as a major general of             militias. His poetical work was widely distinguished and appraised. Both Cary and Lytle’s poems are rich in magnificent archetypal images and motifs that describe both the land and its queen, in the most brilliant manner, thus portraying some of the most exquisite representations of the Queen of Egypt.