American Urbanization

With the population of America growing exponentially during the 19th century, migration from the country to the city became increasingly popular. As more and more people called the city their “home”, a Pandora’s Box of problems arose. Everything from overcrowded housing to unsanitary living conditions plagued the cities with new diseases during this time. To warn the people of these problems, author’s such as Washington Irving, Walt Whitman and Edgar Allen Poe helped make Americans more conscious about moving to the city. In Poe’s “City by the Sea” he both explicitly and implicitly characterizes modern day cities. This poem shows how even fictional cities such as this city by the sea are coping with the everyday problems of city life. Poe’s “City by the Sea” warns the audience of the immorality of the city by portraying death as a kingly ruler that reverses the role of normal religious symbols.

Poe shows how Death rules the city as if it were a king. The first line sets up the wickedness of the plot and the darkness of the setting by saying, “Lo! Death has reared himself a throne in a strange city lying alone” (1.1). Poe could have used any other word for “throne”(1.1) but by using this word to describe death’s hierarchy within the city, Poe can manipulate the audience into thinking that death actually does rule the city as if it was a king. By giving death, which is an abstract idea, human like qualities, it shows that anything can rule the city. Like a good king, death keeps close tabs on everything that goes on within the town. Poe’s medieval description of the city reminds the audience of cities that were ruled by kings. Poe describes the city as having, “Domes… spires… kingly halls… fanes… Babylon-like walls” (1.17-18). Poe’...

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...lost cause since God can’t even reduce the sinning that is happening within the cities. He does this to warn the audience of the inordinate amount of evil breeding in cities that even God can’t overcome. Poe uses seemingly universal religious themes to describe how death is winning in the never ending fight of good versus evil.

Through this poem, Poe effectively warns his audience of the setbacks that there are for living in the city. Poe’s bleak description of the city shows how cities are becoming more and more immoral. With God’s favor now turned away from the cities as well as hell rising up to suppress city life, Poe forecasts a bleak omen on all city dwellers. Poe shows how death officially rules the city as if a king sitting on the throne. Finally, Poe’s sinister description of the city warns people before they finally make the mistake of moving into a city.