Edgar Allan Poe and his Literature

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“All we ever see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” This was a quote by Edgar Allan Poe that was included in his poem A Dream Within A Dream. This quote basically means that life is nothing but a dream, a long one perhaps, but it is one that you only awaken from when you died, or about to die. I really like this poem because sometimes I often wonder, what if life was really just a dream, and death is when you awaken and cross into another world; one that is more perfect and jovial than the one that existed in “life.”? Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer in the Poe often wrote about death and fear, for these two things seem to be the main focus points of Poe literary works. Edgar Allan Poe’s writing are often serious, talking about dark things, and they usually seem to reflect his childhood,his love life, and his view of what life basically is.

Edgar have written numerous poems and stories about death, but some in particular suggest that it was something that reflect upon his childhood. The reason why I said suggest was that we don’t know for sure because Poe never openly stated that, and proven this suggestion. One story, The Masque of the Red Death was about a sickness that was common and deadly during Poe’s life. It had claimed the life of his mother, and his foster mother. Later on it claimed the life of his young bride Virginia Poe who was also his cousin. But the death of his two mothers must have been a significant impact on Poe’s childhood, and the disease, which is tuberculosis, must have struck hatred and fear into the young Poe’s heart. The story (The Masque of the Red Death) was about a red horror that claimed numerous lives, leaving in its wake, a trail of red, bloody destruction. The horror described in thi...

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... though, he was not loved nor recognized much for his talents during his lifetime. It wasn’t until he died and his literature rival begin dishing dirt on him, that people started recognizing Poe and his talents. Throughout Poe’s life, it seemed like writing was his way of letting out some of the pain that life had brought down upon him; a way to keep himself sane it almost seemed. It reflects his difficult childhood, his devastating love life, and his depressing views on life. That concludes Edgar Allan Poe and his literature.

Works Cited

“American Studies at the University of Virginia” http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/POE/masque.html

“ Poem Hunters “ http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-dream-within-a-dream/ “Wise Geek” http://www.wisegeek.com/contest/what-influenced-edgar-allan-poes-works.htm “The Literature Network”
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174151

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