Edgar Allen Poe's Use of Diction Born in 1809, losing his parents and contact with his siblings before the age of three, Edgar Allen Poe had no idea that he was destined to be a great writer. Before he mysteriously died in 1849, he wrote many tales, including poems and short stories, which immortalized his name. The Raven was one of Poe's greatest poems that brought him much fame. Poe's The Raven displays his poetical prowess through the use of his method to writing, diction and literary techniques. Like others held in the spotlight, Poe's talent and works were analyzed by critics. A few critics thought his popularity was just luck; however, other critics acknowledged Poe's intellect. Poe, in response to some criticism on his construction of The Raven, wrote his "Philosophy in Composition," as seen in Macdonald's book (116-128). His purpose was to prove that a standard pattern to writing existed in The Raven. Poe began The Raven with his common theme of death which is prevalent in many of his works. In the case of this poem, it is a person mourning the death of his beloved. This theme most likely originated from his unstable family life as a child and the diminishing health of his wife who gave him emotional stability. These circumstances possibly led Poe to drink alcohol and take drugs, as suggested by Braddy, and influenced him to create such a morbid theme (1-6). Next, Poe decided on a word to center the poem around; this word was "nevermore." Braddy suggested that Poe devised this word because he would soon never be able to hold his wife, Virginia, again (10). Poe held steadfast to his method and needed a person or thing to say this word. He first thought of a parrot, but then moved onto the idea of... ... middle of paper ... ...ny, 1935. 500-504. Braddy, Haldeen. Three Dimensional Poe. El Paso: Texas Western Press, 1973. 1-19. Davidson, Edward H. Poe: A Critical Study. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1957. 76-104. Halliburton, David. Edgar Allen Poe: A Phenomenological View. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973. 46-49, 104-107, 122-149, 176-185, 368-369. Jacobs, Robert D. Poe: Journalist & Critic. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1969. 434-443. Macdonald, Dwight. Poems of Edgar Allen Poe. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1965. 77-80, 107-135. Pahl, Dennis. "De-composing Poe's 'Philosophy.'" Texas Studies in Literature and Language. Ed. Tony Hilfer, and John Rumrich. Vol. 38, no. 1. University of Texas Press, 1996. 1-23. Thompson, G.R. Poe's Fiction. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1973. 96-101.
Kennedy, Gerald J. A Historical Guide to Edgar Allan Poe. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2001
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Thomson, Gary Richard, and Poe Edgar. The selected writings of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Norton & Company, 2004
Pruette, Lorine. “A Psycho-Analytical study of Edgar Allan Poe.” Ther American Jounal of Psychology.31.4 (1920): 370-402. University of Illinois Press. Web. 28 March 2014.
Poe, Edgar A. “The Raven.” Elements of Literature. Fifth Course Literature of the United States
Edgar Allen Poe was among the many influential poem writers in the 1800’s. Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. His father was named David Poe, Jr., and his mother was Elizabeth Arnold who were both “talented actors” (Werlock) at this time. Unfortunately Poe was left an orphan at the age of two when his parents passed away. He was raised by his godfather John Allan who lived in Richmond, Virginia as merchant. His godfather raised him as a “Southern Patrician gentleman and educated him at the university of Virginia and West Point” (Werlock). Later on in his life he married a young fourteen-year-old girl named Virginia Clemmon on May 16,1836.
Quinn, Arthur Hobson. Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography. New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 1941. Internet.
Edgar Allen Poe was one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century. Perhaps he is best know for is ominous short stories. One of my personal favorites was called The Raven. Throughout his works Poe used coherent connections between symbols to encourage the reader to dig deep and find the real meaning of his writing. Poe's work is much like a puzzle, when u first see it its intact, but take apart and find there is much more to the story than you thought. The Raven, written in 1845, is a perfect example of Poe at his craziest. Poe's calculated use of symbolism is at his best in this story as each symbol coincides with the others. In The Raven, Poe explains a morbid fear of loneliness and the end of something through symbols. The symbols not only tell the story of the narrator in the poem, they also tell the true story of Poe's own loneliness in life and the hardships he faced. Connected together through imagery they tell a story of a dark world only Poe Knows exists.
In "The House of Poe", Richard Wilbur elucidates his criticisms of Poe 's work. He firstly comments on a critic 's purpose, then how Poe 's stories are all allegories. He then addresses the possible opposition to his argument, and then begins his discussion of the common themes in Poe 's writing and provides examples from his stories. This dissertation will analyze Wilbur 's criticism by cross referencing Poe 's work and how it exemplifies Wilbur 's assessment. There is a great deal of evidence to support Wilbur 's theories, but a close examination of each one will determine how legitimate his argument really is.
Redfield, J. S. "The Genius of Poe." Foreword. The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. A.C. Armstrong & Son. New York: A.C. Armstrong & Son., 1884. xv-xxvi. EPUB file.
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?s ?The Raven? is a dark reflection on lost love, death, and loss of hope. The poem examines the emotions of a young man who has lost his lover to death and who tries unsuccessfully to distract himself from his sadness through books. Books, however, prove to be of little help, as his night becomes a nightmare and his solitude is shattered by a single visitor, the raven. Through this poem, Poe uses symbolism, imagery and tone, as well as a variety of poetic elements to enforce his theme of sadness and death of the one he loves.
Shulman, Robert. Poe and the Powers of the Mind. Vol. 37. N.p.: The John Hopkins