The Genius of Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe remains today one of the most unique figures in American literary history. Critics have likened him to both Leonardo Da Vinci and the "Jingle Man" ; either the keystone of American literature or simply a writer of fashionable entertainment. As a person and a writer, Poe is also a collection of contradictions. One thing is for certain, few people have left a more lasting impression in the minds of readers than Poe. Subsequent authors have never been able to improve upon the style which Poe created and mastered. Poe's tales have transcended generations of American readers and lasted through many shifts in literary thinking. One of the few things that is as strange and unique as Poe's writings is the man himself. Poe created his unique, strange, and unsettling tales by testing the limits of the soul , walking the line between higher understanding and insanity.
A Redeemed Childhood
Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Baltimore, Maryland to two young actors named Eliza Arnold Hopkins and David Poe. When Poe was nearly three years old, his mother died from tuberculosis. This had a profound effect on the young Poe, who "always remembered -more or less unconsciously - his mother vomiting blood and being carried away from him forever by sinister men in black," according to Roger Asselineau, professor of American literature at the Sorbonne, Paris. Within a number of days, David Poe, who was known to be an alcoholic, disappeared. Although he was never found, it is assumed that he ran off rather than died.
Fortunately, the young Edgar was taken in by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia, where Poe was with his family when his mother died. John Allan was a successful business ...
... middle of paper ...
...e" was a literary genius whose ability to tell tales of the "grotesque" and "arabesque" has still been unmatched. Poe was in many ways a slave to his gifts, and often tempted disaster. It was the fine line that he walked that made him the author he was, but ultimately it was a line he would fall off, destroying his life but making him immortal to readers of his unsettling stories.
Bibliography
Asselineau, Roger. Edgar Allan Poe. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1970.
Chivers, Thomas H. PhD. Life of Poe. New York: E. P. Duton & Co., Inc., 1952.
Ketterer, David. Edgar Allan Poe: Life, Work, and Criticism. Fredericton, Canada: York Press LTD, 1989.
Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allan Poe His Life and Legacy. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992.
Poe, Edgar A. Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Washington Square Press, Inc., 1965.
Kennedy, Gerald J. A Historical Guide to Edgar Allan Poe. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2001
Giordano, Robert. "A short biography of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)." 27 June 2005. 5 April
Poe, Edgar Allan. Ligeia. 8th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. 692-701. Print.
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His parents, who were actors, died when Poe was a small child. Poe was then adopted and raised by John Allan, a tobacco exporter, and Frances Allan in Richmond, Virginia (Magill, 1640). Poe was sent to the best schools because of Allan’s job. When Poe was six years old he was sent to private school. Poe kept studying and went to the University of Virginia for one year. After one year in the University Poe quit school because Allan refused to pay his debts, and he did not have money to pay for Poe’s education. Later, Poe left Boston in 1827 where he enlisted in the army. Poe served two years in the military after he quit school. After two years in the military Poe was dismissed for neglect of duty. His foster father then disowned him permanently. He stayed very little time there because Allan, once again, refused to send Poe any money. (Hoffman, Daniel)
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.
Meyers, J. (1992). Edgar Allan Poe: his life and legacy. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons Frank, F. S. (1997). The Poe encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press..
Thomson, Gary Richard, and Poe Edgar. The selected writings of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Norton & Company, 2004
In the short story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there are many themes and literary elements that circulate around the two main characters George and Lennie. One of the most important themes in this short story is the presence of disabilities within the characters. These disabilities represent the significance of how during the Great Depression many people who had disabilities were said to be an added cost or “weaknesses”. Most characters are illustrated with some form of disability that enables them or makes it difficult to accomplish certain goals while also working against them in the environment in which they live in.
Magistrale, Tony. "The Art of Poetry." Student Companion to Edgar Allan Poe. Westport, Conn. ;London: Greenwood, 2001. 39-41. Print.
Quinn, Arthur Hobson. Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography. New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 1941. Internet.
Frye, Steven. Critical Insights: The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe. Pasadena, CA: Salem, 2010. Print.
Poe, Edgar Allan, Andrew Barger, Harry Clarke and Gustave Dore´. Edgar Allan Poe. [Memphis, Tenn.]: BottleTree Books, 2008. Print.
Ingram, John Henry. Edgar Allan Poe: His Life, Letters, and Opinions. New York: AMS Press, Inc., 1965.
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. Even though Edgar Allan Poe did not grow up around his biological parents, his parents were both actors. “His father left the family early on, and his mother passed away when he was only three.” (“Biography”) Since Poe did not have any parents around, he went to live with John and Frances Allan. Poe attended both the University of Virginia and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In the 1830's Poe moved in with his aunt and cousin, Virginia, whom he would end up marrying. She was thirteen years of age when they married. In 1835 Poe obtained a job at the Southern Literary Messenger. While he was working there he was able to publish a few novels in a hope of his works receiving notice from others. In 1837 Poe left the Southern Literary Messenger due to various issues that were present in his life. After the death of his wife, Virginia, and an alcohol problem which would strain a lot of his relationships with other people, Poe finally died on October 7, 1847.
Edgar Allan Poe is one American author whose name is known to almost everyone. Edgar is known for his elegant poems and for being a tough critic of refined tastes, but also for being the first master of the short story form, especially tales of mystery. He has a talent of having an extraordinary hold upon the readers imagination and not letting lose. Many advents of Edgar’s life has probably led to the strange, but successful and renowned pieces of American literature.