Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most prolific, acclaimed writers known today. His various, diverse writings have been studied, discussed and analyzed by many. Many of his works, from his poem “The Raven”, to his short story “The Cask of Amontillado” are extremely well-known and highly regarded. His writings are known in particular for their melancholy and often gruesome themes. Who is the man behind the literature that had become so much a part of today’s culture? What experiences may he have drawn upon in order to create his many masterpieces? Edgar Allan Poe’s mental illness impacted his life in many ways, and strongly influenced his works.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809, Edgar Allan Poe faced many hardships in his life beginning at nine months old, when his alcoholic father abandoned his mother and other two siblings. Once Poe had lost his wife Virginia to illnesses, his poems were noticeably growing darker and more gruesome, and her death “haunted Poe until the end of his life” (Erica). These are only a few hardships Poe faced throughout his life, and each one led him to become a more dramatic and disturbing person. Every suffering he faced was used as a prompt for his writings, and throughout his work he places his hurt and depression into each piece based off his own life. His famous poems are the results of his insanity based off his unfortunate life. Even though Poe lived a challenging and stressful life, his poems ...
“Poe’s Theory of Poetry.” The Big Read. Handout One. N.d.. 16. Web. 19 April 2014.
Poe’s frightening stories acts as helpful inspiration for entertainment in the present, and for many years to come. The timeless relevance of his work, and its merciless scrutiny of the human condition, solidifies its place in history and its position of high admiration. In conclusion, the extraordinary-fleeting-tragic life of Edgar Allan Poe will forever remain on record as the tale of an orphan, a gentleman, a soldier, and one of the most prominent literary figures in American history.
Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting poems and morbid stories will be read by countless generations of people from many different countries, a fact which would have undoubtedly provided some source of comfort for this troubled, talented yet tormented man. His dark past continued to torture him until his own death. These torturous feelings were shown in many of his works. A tragic past, consisting of a lack of true parents and the death of his wife, made Edgar Allan Poe the famous writer he is today, but it also led to his demise and unpopularity.
Edgar Allen Poe is an author that just about anyone and everyone around the globe can either quote or say that they have heard of; Nonetheless, from his amazing works to his unexpected and strange death, Mr. Poe is a man that everyone is familiar with. Mr. Poe has some very interesting points in his life, which are very much worth conversing over, starting from his tragic beginning and slowly but surely making it to his undoubtedly deserved fame but it was then cut short when the last chapter of his life’s book was at its end.
Edgar Allan Poe, is one of the most brilliant literary writers in history. He wrote many poems and short stories throughout his rather short lifetime, most of which encompassed such themes as death, destruction, and madness. These intriguing, and often frightening tales, as well as his clever use of a multitude of literary tactics, is what set him apart from the rest, and what makes him so popular still today. Reading his work, one is sure to wonder where these ideas came from. However, a little research into past will certainly open the doors to a better understanding of his writing.
Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19 1809 with the name of Edgar Poe as well as a brother and sister. When he became one his father abandoned Poe’s mom and him shortly followed by his mom’s death. Now orphaned he was taken in by a successful scottish merchant with the name of John Allan. Although John never legally adopted Edgar he renamed him Edgar Allan Poe and took care of him. Later on John Allan moved his family to Britain where Poe enrolls in a grammar school located in Irvine, Scotland. Then he stopped the class the following year and rejoined his parents before he became a student in the a boarding school found in Chelsea. He then proceeded to the University of Virginia where he quarreled with his father about gambling debts. After one year Edgar Allan Poe quit the university after his debts increased more and more, not feeling that he would be accepted by his family he decided to enlist in the army with a false name and age.
The Portable Edgar Allen Poe, edited by J. Gerald Kennedy, is a phenomenal compilation of works from one of America's greatest writers of the nineteenth century. Published in 2006, the book contains short stories, poems, and letters, written by Edgar Allen Poe. Full of lies, hope, revenge, and guilt, the stories in this assemblage are suspenseful and convey powerful messages.
Edgar Allan Poe was an accomplished writer and one of the most unique poets of all time. He uses dreary, dark, menacing, controversial, upsetting, and suffering tones throughout his writing that express a more bleak side of life. Death, illness, and tragedy are the leading themes that Edgar Allan Poe uses in order to show readers his understanding of the more grotesque situations in life. He uses this in order to express his thoughts, experience, and opinions on things that are more desolate. He does this because the human condition is filled with good and bad stuff. He chose to be different than most writers of his time and explore the ugly to its fullest. He accomplishes this form of expression through language,
The poem that I am analyzing is called “Alone”, written by Edgar Allan Poe. He was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts and passed away on October 7, 1849 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a poet who works of fiction and horror majorly impacted literature. He is also an American author, editor and literary critic. His death remains a mystery, there are different stories about how he died but no one really knows the truth behind his death. This poem “Alone” is a powerful lyrical poem that has portrayed Edgar Allan Poe’s tough and suffering childhood. The poet is the narrator of this poem. He talks about his strange and tough childhood throughout the poem with a dark tone along with wickedness, which makes it obvious that this poem’s theme is not about living a happy and wonderful life.
The life of Edgar Allan Poe, was stuffed with tragedies that all affected his art. From the very start of his writing career, he adored writing poems for the ladies in his life. When he reached adulthood and came to the realization of how harsh life could be, his writing grew to be darker and more disturbing, possibly as a result of his intense experimenting with opium and alcohol. His stories continue to be some of the most frightening stories ever composed, because of this, some have considered this to be the reason behind these themes. Many historians and literature enthusiasts have presumed his volatile love life as the source while others have credited it to his substance abuse. The influence of his one-of-a-kind writing is more than likely a combination of both theories; but the main factor is the death of many of his loved ones and the abuse which he endured. This, not surprisingly, darkened his perspective considerably.
Once reading pieces that were dark and creepy, I began to wonder why this author seemed so strange and sinister-y,
Edgar Allan Poe is one of America’s most celebrated classical authors, known for his unique dealings within the horror genre. Poe was a master at utilizing literary devices such as point of view and setting to enhance the mood and plot of his stories leading to his widespread appeal that remains intact to this day. His mastery of aforementioned devices is evident in two of his shorter works “The Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado”.