Edgar Allan Poe's Obsession with Death
analytical Essay
690 words
Throughout Edgar Allan Poe’s life, death was a frequent visitor to those he loved around him. When Poe was only 3 years old, his loving mother died of Tuberculosis. Because Poe’s father left when he was an infant, he was now an orphan and went to live with the Allan’s. His stepmother was very affectionate towards Edgar and was a very prominent figure in his life. However, years later she also died from Tuberculosis, leaving Poe lonely and forlorn. Also, later on, when Poe was 26, he married his cousin 13-year-old Virginia, whom he adored. But, his happiness did not last long, and Virginia also died of Tuberculosis, otherwise known as the Red Death, a few years later. After Virginia’s death, Poe turned to alcohol and became isolated and reckless. Due to Edgar Allan Poe’s loss of those he cared for throughout his life, Poe’s obsession with death is evident in his works of “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Black Cat”, and “The Fall of the House of Usher”, in which in all three death is used to produce guilt. At the end of “The Tell-Tale Heart”, Poe’s fascination with death is apparent when the narrator ruthlessly killed an old man with a disturbing eye, but felt so guilty that he confessed to the police. The narrator dismembered the old man’s body and hid them in the floor, confident that they were concealed. However, when the police came to investigate, the narrator heard a heart beating and began to crack under the pressure. Overcome with guilt, he confessed that he murdered him and pulled up the floorboards. The narrator exclaimed, “But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision!” (“Heart” 4). Although the narrator was calm and confident at first, the guilt he experienced drove him mad, causing... ... middle of paper ... ...n with death. His fascination with death can be traced back to the death of those he loved in his life, including his mother, step-mother, and wife. Poe conveys his fixation through his narrators in short stories, whether they kill based on fear, hate, or anxiety. By including death in all his works, he frightens his audience and shows them that death is unavoidable and constantly chases us throughout our lives. Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The American Tradition in Literature. Ed. George Perkins and Barbara Perkins. ___________________: McGraw Hill., 2008. Pg-pg. Print. “The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe.” University of Virginia, n.d. Web. 27 March, 2014. The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe. Biography. A&E Television Network, 1994. DVD. Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Black Cat." Poe Stories. Robert Giordano, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how edgar allan poe's obsession with death is evident in his works of "the tell-tale heart, " the black cat" and 'the fall of the house of usher.
- Analyzes how poe connects with the narrator in "the tell-tale heart" in that he too felt guilty when his loved ones died.
- Analyzes how the narrator in "the black cat" experienced guilt, even though he abhorred his victim.
- Analyzes how poe's obsession with death is evident throughout "the fall of the house of usher".
- Analyzes how poe conveys his obsession with death through his narrators in short stories, whether they kill based on fear, hate, or anxiety.
- Cites poe, edgar allan. "the fall of the house of usher." the american tradition in literature.
Related
- analytical
- The Ghastly Writings of Poeanalytical essayThe Ghastly Writings of Poe Edgar Allen Poe makes tales of imagination and fantasies the irrefutable realms of fear. His tales and poems “have influenced the literary schools of symbolism…as well as the popular genres of detective and horror fiction (Stern xxxviii). However, as many of Poe’s tales and poems conjure terror and trepidation, they also penetrate the imagination with fantasy. Poe repeatedly attempts and succeeds at making his readers endure analogous feelings as those characters in his works. The most common realms Poe writes about are dreams, fantasies, the subconscious, and glimpses of the afterlife.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how edgar allen poe's tales and poems conjure terror and trepidation, but also penetrate the imagination with fantasy. the most common realms are dreams, fantasies, the subconscious, and glimpses of the afterlife.
- Analyzes how poe's tales of revenge and murder mirror the conflicts of his life. the tell-tale heart and the black cat deal with a murderer who escapes the consequences.
- Analyzes how poe favors death and terror over any other genre. he inflicts the fear of the unknown on his audience.
- Analyzes how poe never writes a "ghost story", although he creates characters that have no real existence.
- Analyzes how poe considers himself a poet, although he leaves only fifty poems to the world. his poems concern his love, his inner-self, and above all death.
- Analyzes how poe makes his point through imagery, not argument like so many other poets. in "romance," the contrast is between the ideal world of the imagination and the painful world
- Analyzes how poe's poem "ulalume" reveals the theme of longing for a lost love.
- Opines that edgar allen poe leaves to the world wonderful works of literature. he writes tales and poems of ghastly creatures, long lost loves, revenge, and death.
- Cites bradley, scully, magill, frank n., myerson, joel, and poe's the tell-tale heart and other writings.
1467 wordsRead More - A Brief History of Edgar Allan Poeanalytical essayEdgar Allan Poe had married his fourteen year-old cousin, whom died ten years later at the age of twenty four, from Tuberculosis (Ljungquist N.P.). After Virginia died, Poe became lost, alcoholic, drug addicted, and debauchery (Szumski 20). “Under the adroit cover of the special mechanism he had constructed, Poe could unveil his inner, introverted self before a callous extroverted public. There he could occupy himself incessantly with his core-preoccupation, that death-yearning which was his inmost secret, that longing for the peace which he had never known.”(“Poe” N.P.). Poe challenged the literary world, by having people read his works and understand where he comes from. His parents were traveling actors; he was separated from his brother and sister. (“Poe” N.P.). Edgar Allan Poe made a huge impact on the American Renaissance movement, he was an Anti-Transcendentalist that wrote stories and poems. His poems are very well-known in American Literature. The importance of Poe’s well-known being is because his poetry expressed himself without his readers, even noticing (“Poe” N.P.). Edgar Allan Poe was found on October 3, 1849, he was semiconscious and very delirious. He died four days later on October 7. During autopsy, they found out he died because of “congestion of the brain.” (Ljungquist N.P.). The fact that he died because of “congestion of t...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how edgar allan poe wrote about death, sinful acts, and how others felt towards sin during the american renaissance.
- Explains that edgar allan poe was an anti-transcendentalist who challenged the literary world by having people read his works and understand where he comes from.
- Analyzes how daniel hoffman criticized edgar allan poe's "the fall of the house of usher: an allegory of the artist." he used imagery, characterization, and irony to convey a meaning opposite of its literal meaning.
- Analyzes how hoffman could see how madeline was viewed in another person's perspective. poe tells the reader what the vault was like in extreme detail.
- Opines that people should study edgar allan poe and other writers like him. it's important to have a wide variety of different pieces of literature, and point of views.
- Opines that edgar allan poe's writing has influenced others to figure out how they can see from other peoples perspectives.
- Describes the works of daniel hoffman and kent ljungquist on edgar allan poe.
966 wordsRead More - The Death Of Edgar Allan Poeanalytical essayThrough many years, remnants of literature have been left with countless questions unanswered. Many stories and writings never show the experiences and feelings of the ones who wrote them. Some of one’s works can mark their perception of the world they lived in by projecting their life with their own scriptures. Although many recorded their joy of life, one writer took death as an obsession of its short coming. Edgar Allan Poe, the timeless short story writer has exhibited his details of life, fantasy, and his influences of death. With many hardships Poe encountered in his momentary being, his life was dark, mysterious, and agonizing. Poe incorporated these characteristics with his imaginative stories which still impact people today. The experiences he had in his timeline are the source to blame for the mystery of his remarkable works.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many stories and writings never show the experiences and feelings of the ones who wrote them. edgar allan poe, the timeless short story writer, took death as an obsession of its short coming.
- Explains that poe's life was flawed from the beginning. he was the middle child of three siblings, henry leonard, and rosalie, who were adopted by different families.
- Narrates how poe was adopted and raised by john and frances allan in richmond, virginia, where he was kicked out of the university of virginia for gambling and miscellaneous studies.
- Narrates how poe arrived in baltimore when he was twenty-seven and married his cousin virginia clemm when she was thirteen years old. after eleven years of marriage, virginia died in 1847.
- Explains that poe was an emerging writer with many talents, including being an editor, publisher, and critic of literature. in 1831, his brother, henry, died ill from heavy alcoholism.
- Analyzes how poe was raised by death, and his experiences became a major influence in his writing. his childhood and adulthood were marred by the death of close relatives.
- Explains that poe's death was a secret, and that his impoverished life could have contributed to his insanity.
- Opines that poe was an excellent writer, but many never knew the real backstory. the infamous short story writer and innovator of detective fiction wrote many tales about the exceptions of life that leave many in awe.
1050 wordsRead More - The Life and Writings of Edgar Allan Poeanalytical essayEdgar 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the correlations between the two stories, which are told in the first person. the narrator's are psychotic, making it difficult to take what they say at face value.
- Analyzes how the narrator in "the tell-tale heart" is secure in his hiding of the bodies and helps the police search his house.
- Analyzes how poe's themes of untimely death, blood, and insanity are prevalent throughout his works.
- Explains that edgar allan poe was one of the most brilliant literary writers in history. he wrote many poems and short stories that encompassed themes like death, destruction, and madness.
1007 wordsRead More - The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poeanalytical essayEdgar Allan Poe was a master of his craft, gifted with the talent of introducing each reader to his or her own fears. As the first writer to compose tales of horror, death, and mystery into literature and poetry, he is blessed, maybe even cursed, with an imagination that set higher standards in the field of writing. However sinister or dark it may be, Poe’s writing continues to have an impact on the world of writing. A look into Poe’s childhood might shed some light on where his fascination with death comes from.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that edgar allan poe was a master of his craft, gifted with the talent of introducing each reader to his or her own fears.
- Explains that edgar allan poe was born in 1809 in boston, massachusetts to drifting actor parents. his father abandoned his wife and children, leaving her to support the family as best she could.
- Narrates how edgar's foster father, john allan, denied him the means to survive out of his home and forbade him to study poetry. he was devastated when his first love, elmira royster, married someone else.
- Analyzes how edgar's writings reflect an imagination that most of his readers will only experience when dreaming at night. he explores the processes and avenues of death.
- Analyzes how poe's poem "the raven" takes readers through the heart of misery with a dark shadow of terror.
- Opines that edgar allan poe's death was mysterious and strange as his life and stories. the cause of his death is unknown.
- Analyzes how poe's drinking problem led him to relapse after his wife died in 1847. he was unfaithful and used opium, laudanum, and morphine. his life was twisted and chaotic.
1140 wordsRead More - Edgar Allan Poeanalytical essayFrom the very dawning of his existence, Edgar Allan Poe lived a life of hardship; a quality which was reflected in his writings. Poe was born the son of a pair of traveling actors. His father, David, was at best a mediocre actor who soon deserted his wife and son. His mother Elizabeth, on the contrary, was a charming woman and talented actress. His life, no doubt, would have been much different were it not for the fact that she died of tuberculosis in 1811 when Poe was not quite three. This event scarred him for life, for he would always remember "his mother vomiting blood and being carried away from him forever by sinister men dressed in black." (Asselineau, 409).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the artist, like the hero of one of his own tales, was constantly threatened and tortured by the pendulum of fate swinging between the extremes of the human condition.
- Explains that poe's life was a downward spiral. he courted several widows at once, trying to regain the sliver of happiness which his child-bride virginia had given him.
- Compares the literary merit of edgar alan poe with those of mark twain and james russell lowell.
- Explains that poe's world is a nightmarish universe, with wasted landscapes, silent, forgotten lands, and medieval buildings suggestive by their very architecture of horrendous and unknown happenings.
- Analyzes how poe's attitude towards his writings is more complex than is commonly realized. the frantic insanity is always accompanied by a certain amount of reason.
- Analyzes how edgar allan poe lived a life of hardship, which was reflected in his writings.
- Analyzes how poe was a master at stimulating the reader's imagination and thereby bringing out the sense of irrational fear that all human beings possess.
- Analyzes allen, henry, and asselineau, roger. "edgar allan poe." american writers vol. iii. ed. leonard unger.
3229 wordsRead More - The Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poeanalytical essay“The Tell-Tale Heart,” is an emotional description of a furious narrator who had heard a man’s persistent heartbeat, still beating, after he had killed him. It is a horror story told from a first-person point of view. This story is famous for showing that a short story can produce such an effect on the reader. Poe always believed that any great literature must create a union of effect on the reader. It has to tell truth and suggest emotions. “The Tell-Tale Heart” re...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that edgar allan poe's stories were mysterious, dark and sinister, and credited with the invention of science fiction and mystery genres.
- Explains that poe's stories and poems were filled with terror, fear, death, murder, insanity, torture and the unknown because he experienced a large amount of tragedy in his life.
- Analyzes how "the tell-tale heart" represents poe's ability to show the dark side of humankind. the murder shows a sign of guilt.
- Analyzes how poe's "the tell-tale heart" is a great example for children to learn about symbolism, allegory and imagery.
- Explains that edgar allan poe influenced artists such as the beatles, bauhaus, the alan parsons project and panic at the disco.
683 wordsRead More - Edgar Allen Poe: A great American Iconanalytical essayEdgar Allan Poe’s unique, fearless and morbid writing style has influenced literature throughout the world. He was once titled the "master of the macabre" (Buranelli, 57). One of the aspects in his life with which he struggled was social isolation. He used this as a topic in a number of poems and short stories. Poe's life was also filled with periods of fear and irrationality. He had a very sensitive side when it came to the female gender, any woman he was ever close to died at an early age. Another of his major battles, actually the only one he really lost, was his struggle with alcoholism. Of all these topics, Poe's favorites were the death of a beautiful woman, a feeling, which he knew all too well, and the general topic of death. Edgar Allan Poe endured a very difficult life and this is evident in his literary style.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that edgar allan poe's most defining factor in his literature was the death of a loved one. he wrote some of the most horrific stories of all time, such as "the murders in rue morgue"
- Analyzes how edgar allan poe's difficult life was reflected in almost every work that ever left his pen. his collection portrayed encounters of social isolation, periods of fear and irrationality, and extreme bouts with alcoholism.
- Analyzes how edgar allan poe's unique, fearless and morbid writing style has influenced literature throughout the world.
- Introduces edgar allan poe: a thematic reader. ed. by eric w. carlson.
- Cites eric w. carlson's the recognition of edgar allan poe.
1555 wordsRead More - Paper 3: Romanticism and Transcendentalism’s Respondentsanalytical essayPoe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” depicts the human mind through the struggle of distinguishing reality and imaginary. Poe utilizes the narrator/agonist to demonstrate how the suffering of one’s perceived acuteness of senses, in relation to anxiety, leads to an unwanted culmination. The narrator labels his own nervous behavior as “disease” that has “sharpened [his] senses” (691). Poe’s use of “disease,” indicates disorder and destruction, and also foreshadows the spread and consumption of the narrator’s fear. The confidence that results from the narrator’s justified senses proves to draw him further from his own morality. By example, he states, Moreover, his senses stem from his overarching obsession and hatred for the old man’s eye. This is demonstrated by his continued distinct characteristics he places on the eye—“eye of a vulture,” “pale blue eye,” “Evil Eye,” and “damned spot” (691-693). The collection of descriptions throughout his efforts to kill the old man shows the torment he suffers from his psychosis. The narrator’s statement, “it haunted me day and night,” displays his motivation for killing the old man. However, the significance of the narrator actually committing the murderous act demonstrates the definitive loss of his rationality and morality. Poe displays, that the dark side of the mind is a result of this los...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how edgar allan poe and emily dickinson's "the tell-tale heart" display different aspects of the human mind through similar modes of rhetorical sensory overload.
- Analyzes how poe's "the tell-tale heart" depicts the human mind through the struggle of distinguishing reality and imaginary.
- Analyzes how dickinson's poems "340" and "355" display the pain associated with depression. both narrators define melancholy as a death that suppresses their happiness.
- Analyzes how poe and dickinson demonstrate unique rhetorical methods of sensory overload. the lingering imagery stimulated by the muffled ticking of a watch exemplifies the narrator's anxiety building
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne highlights human nature's ability to freely judge another’s character without consideration of their own faults. both stories prove that judgment diverts human perspective and understanding.
- Analyzes how hawthorne uses the character of goodman brown to insinuate that evil is manifested within human’s innate nature to commit sin.
- Compares hawthorne's "the minister’s black veil" and "young goodman brown" in that the townspeople are more passive actors.
- Analyzes how hawthorne's "young goodman brown" and "the minister’s black veil" demonstrate the perception of people and their own reflection of others.
1535 wordsRead More - Poe, Edgar A. “The Tell-Tale Heart”. American Literature: Volume One. Ed. William E. Cain. New York: Pearson, 2004. 809-813. Print
In this essay, the author
- Compares edgar allan poe's tell-tale heart and nathaniel hawthorne’s the scarlet letter. both have similarities with modified characters, connected symbolism, and significant midpoints.
- Explains that edger allan poe is one of the most famous and controversial authors of many short stories and novels. he is known for his gothic genre that deals with the darker elements as well as the supernatural.
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne refused to thrive in a usual profession. his writings are considered to be part of the romantic movement, better known as dark romanticism.
- Analyzes the similarities between poe's short story and hawthorne’s novel, “the leech and his patient”.
- Analyzes how time of action and symbolism play a major role in both narratives. in poe's novel, the imagined heartbeat caused the narrator to blurt out his confession of murder.
- Analyzes how literary analytic richard kopley, with the help of studies in american fiction, found a pattern throughout "the tell-tale heart."
- Explains that kopley reinforces the idea of the providence tradition, which is the involvement in reflecting halves and significant midpoints in stories.
- Analyzes how poe's short story and hawthorne’s novel portray distinct themes, including inverted characters, modified motives and midpoints, and a change in theme.
- Analyzes how edgar allen poe became one of the most influential authors in regards to gothic literature. his short stories leave readers with a sense of discomfort due to his vivid descriptions of horrifying, supernatural, and psychological stories.
- Explains that edgar allen poe and nathaniel hawthorne shared many qualities and he influenced him. the scarlet letter has the ability to be interpreted in different ways due to its symbolism.
- Explains that hawthorne, nathaniel, and william e. cain. the scarlet letter.
- Opines that hawkthorne’s transplanting and transforming ‘the tell-tale heart’ is a masterpiece.
- Explains poe, edgar a. "the tell-tale heart". american literature: volume one. ed. william e. cain.
1478 wordsRead More