Criticism of Poe

Though Edgar Allen Poe is most famous for his short mystery stories of the macabre and poetry, he is also known as one of the foremost figures in literary criticism. Poe alienated many of his colleagues due to the unyielding standards he demanded in the building of a worthy national literature, he is now credited for being one of the most influential figures in the advancement of literary traditions not only in America but in Europe as well, leaving an indubitable mark on the world of literature.

Though Poe's poems draw in the reader, at times reluctantly, on a subconscious level, there is widespread disagreement on the virtues of Poe's poetry. Many critics connect the tragic origins of Poe's life with events described in his poetry; some critics even insist that the poems, unlike his writings, are drawn from personal experience. Other scholars attempt to account for each of the real-life women who inspired individual poems, although there is some disagreement on the results, with the exception of “Annabel Lee,” which is universally acknowledged as a tribute to Poe's child-bride, Virginia. Poe's obsession with death in his poetry is linked to the deaths of so many of the important women in his life and the resulting sense of desertion. (Sisler, 2004)

Edgar Allan Poe’s best known poem “The Raven”, gaining international attention for Poe after being published in The Raven and Other Poems making it one of the most famous poems ever written. Poe uses internal rhyme and end rhyme as well as words with multiple syllables, long convoluted sentences and several ramifying clauses in many of his poems such as “The Raven”. With the usage of intensity to build suspense and suggest terror, Poe creates an atmosphere in which he probes the ...

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...rayals also blend in with characters from his stories, suggesting Poe and his characters share identities. On October 3, 1849, Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore delirious, "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance", according to the man who found him, Joseph W. Walker. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849, at 5:00 in the morning. (Neimeyer, 2002)

Works Cited

Cengage, G. (2001). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from enotes.com: http://www.enotes.com/fall-house-usher-criticism/fall-house-usher-edgar-allan-poe/introduction

Neimeyer, M. (2002). Poe and Popular Culture. In The Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allen Poe (p. 209). Cambridge University Press.

Sisler, T. (2004). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from eNotes.com: http://www.enotes.com/raven-criticism/raven-edgar-allan-poe/introduction