Edgar Allan Poe and his Literature

752 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analysis of allen poe's writing

“All we ever see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” This was a quote by Edgar Allan Poe that was included in his poem A Dream Within A Dream. This quote basically means that life is nothing but a dream, a long one perhaps, but it is one that you only awaken from when you died, or about to die. I really like this poem because sometimes I often wonder, what if life was really just a dream, and death is when you awaken and cross into another world; one that is more perfect and jovial than the one that existed in “life.”? Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer in the Poe often wrote about death and fear, for these two things seem to be the main focus points of Poe literary works. Edgar Allan Poe’s writing are often serious, talking about dark things, and they usually seem to reflect his childhood,his love life, and his view of what life basically is.

Edgar have written numerous poems and stories about death, but some in particular suggest that it was something that reflect upon his childhood. The reason why I said suggest was that we don’t know for sure because Poe never openly stated that, and proven this suggestion. One story, The Masque of the Red Death was about a sickness that was common and deadly during Poe’s life. It had claimed the life of his mother, and his foster mother. Later on it claimed the life of his young bride Virginia Poe who was also his cousin. But the death of his two mothers must have been a significant impact on Poe’s childhood, and the disease, which is tuberculosis, must have struck hatred and fear into the young Poe’s heart. The story (The Masque of the Red Death) was about a red horror that claimed numerous lives, leaving in its wake, a trail of red, bloody destruction. The horror described in thi...

... middle of paper ...

... though, he was not loved nor recognized much for his talents during his lifetime. It wasn’t until he died and his literature rival begin dishing dirt on him, that people started recognizing Poe and his talents. Throughout Poe’s life, it seemed like writing was his way of letting out some of the pain that life had brought down upon him; a way to keep himself sane it almost seemed. It reflects his difficult childhood, his devastating love life, and his depressing views on life. That concludes Edgar Allan Poe and his literature.

Works Cited

“American Studies at the University of Virginia” http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/POE/masque.html

“ Poem Hunters “ http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-dream-within-a-dream/ “Wise Geek” http://www.wisegeek.com/contest/what-influenced-edgar-allan-poes-works.htm “The Literature Network”
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174151

Show More
Related

  • Edgar Allan Poe Obituary

    1737 Words  | 4 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe was inarguably one of the most well known American poets. His criticisms, stories, and poems far out lived the man, but not his reputation. Even today any search of the poet Edgar Allan Poe will bring up facts that are dark, disputable, disgusting, and at times tragic. Mr. Poe wrote words of love, despair, anger, and mystery. He wrote what he knew best and he left behind a legacy that is unique, riveting, and thought provoking, even today. The question is did Edgar Allan Poe deserve the scathing final review that was his obituary? Are his beautiful and disturbing words the ravings of a mad man? It is generally accepted that he suffered from alcoholism and that was the reason of his death. However, his reputation was such that

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe Annotated Bibliography

    426 Words  | 1 Pages

    Poe, Edgar Allan, et al. The short fiction of Edgar Allan Poe: an annotated edition. University of Illinois Press, 1990.

    Read More

  • Was Edgar Allan Poe A Rebel?

    1711 Words  | 4 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe was a 19th century American poet, author, and critic. Poe is often described as a rebel against society and art-for-art's sake supporter who experimented in making his poems without didacticism and devoid of any meaning, but he is also respected as a genius in terms of his commitment to art and his ability to experiment with various forms of expressions (Fromm 304). In my opinion, Poe was not a rebel because he remained true to himself. Although he was influenced by traditional artists, he adapted this tradition to his personal being. Although he might have been perceived as a rebel against society because of his innovative views on the world, human beings, and poetry, I believe his work remains popular and influential today because he remained true to his style and personality. However, I agree that he was dedicated to art for art's sake because his main intention was to express himself through his work. Poe did not bother with popular styles and techniques, but he was a master poet when it comes to adapting to different styles to convey his emotions appropriately. Overall, Poe's poetry displays sentimentalism because he puts all emphasis on emotions and no emphasis on logic, but it is not limited to optimism because he displays both positive and negative emotions, and he displays them often together using both extremes in a single poem.

    Read More

  • The Life And Death Of Edgar Allan Poe

    1437 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of actress Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and actor David Poe, Jr. His father abandoned the family in 1810, and his mother died of tuberculosis when he was only two, so Poe was taken into the home of John Allan, a successful tobacco merchant in Richmond, Virginia. Although his middle name is often misspelled as "Allen," it is actually "Allan" after this family. After attending the Misses Duborg boarding school in London and Manor School in Stoke Newington, London, England, Poe moved back to Richmond, Virginia, with the Allans in 1820. Poe registered at the University of Virginia in 1826, but only stayed there for one year. He was estranged from his foster father at some point in this period over gambling debts Poe had acquired while trying to get more spending money, and so Poe enlisted in the United States Army as a private using the name Edgar A. Perry on May 26, 1827. That same year, he released his first book, Tamarlane and Other Poems. After serving for two years and attaining the rank of Sergeant-major, Poe was discharged. In 1829, Poe's foster mother Frances Allan died and he published his second book, Al Aaraf. As per his foster mother's deathwish, Poe reconciled with his foster father, who coordinated an appointment for him to the United States Military Academy at West Point. His time at West Point was ill-fated, however, as Poe supposedly deliberately disobeyed orders and was dismissed. After that, his foster father repudiated him until his death in March 27, 1834.

    Read More

  • The Death Of Edgar Allan Poe

    1325 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, I believe that Edgar Allan Poe’s life was full of sorrow and loneliness. Though his life was one problem after another, this pushed him and inspired him to be the writer was. His past inspired his dark and demented them of his short stories, poems, etc. Many look up to Edgar as a phenomenal writer.

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe's Life and Work

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...story writers all over the world. Although he had an unusual, unique, and peculiar way of writing he still had a great influence and impact on society during his time, up to the present day. Poe’s writing has changed the way present day writers write about love, pride, beauty and death.

    Read More

  • The Life and Works of Edgar Allan Poe

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    Known for his mystery, macabre and detective fiction genre, Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most remembered poets of all time. Usually when people think of him, mind images of premature burials, murders, madmen, and mysterious women who are taken back from pure death like some zombie-like creatures comes to mind. In 1809, Edgar was born the second son out of three, two of which became actors. After the death of his mother and father at the age of three, John and Francis Allan raised him in Virginia. Edgar was sent to the best boarding schools and later on attended the University of Virginia where he was successfully academic. He was forced to leave due to refusement to pay his gambling debts. In 1827, he moved back to Boston and enlisted in the United States Army where his first poems titled Tamerlane, and Other Poems were published.

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe

    800 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... his work lives on, so does the mystery of his death. The purpose of this paper was to examine the disheartening life of such an amazing poet, critic, editor and author and show how influential his success even after death can inspire us to try our hardest despite the circumstances. Poe's life is one of dismay but also of triumph, and we could all learn a great deal from him.

    Read More

  • The Life of Edgar Allan Poe

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before the age of three, Poe was already an orphan after his Mother dying and his Father walking out on them (Frank 56). Poe was too young to remember his Mother since her death occurred when he was very young, but later in his life he grew resentful for being raised as a foster child. After the loss of his Mother, Poe would go on to experience the death of many more loved ones. This became the source of the terrible fear Poe would associate with death and dying, a common theme in many of his works.

    Read More

  • The Dark Writings of Edgar Allan Poe

    1689 Words  | 4 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe is regarded as one of the most famous writers of all time. He is known for his sinister and horrific tales and his seemingly pessimistic view on life. This overwhelming theme is rarely questioned by other writers and fans alike because of his personal tragedies; it is only fitting that a man as disturbed as Poe would write such troubled stories. It is common knowledge to most that Poe had a heartrending life; he lost his biological mother, adoptive mother, and wife all before he went to college. Poe used the tragic premature endings of his family members as inspiration to write his trademark literature, lengthy eloquent works revolving around fatality. It is atypical for one of his stories to not mention death in one way or another. In each of his stories, Poe talks about death in a different way. In two of his most famous works, “The Tell-Tale Heat” and “The Pit and Pendulum”, both of the main characters act differently towards death. By adding variety to his characters’ reactions, Poe shows the reader that while death is universal, the way each person deals with it is unique. However, the repetitive theme of death makes Poe appear as a single-minded writer to many of his readers, only able to focus on the negative aspects of life. However, if one looks more closely at “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “the Pit and Pendulum” one sees otherwise; while both clearly express the impending nature of death through different symbols and imagery, both subtly show that even when life is filled with darkness, there is always light, showing that while Poe was a dark and troubled man, he was always hopeful something positive was going to occur.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe´s Literature

    897 Words  | 2 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe has a unique writing style that uses several different elements of literary structure. He uses intrigue vocabulary, repetition, and imagery to better capture the reader’s attention and place them in the story. Edgar Allan Poe’s style is dark, and his is mysterious style of writing appeals to emotion and drama. What might be Poe’s greatest fictitious stories are gothic tend to have the same recurring theme of either death, lost love, or both. His choice of word draws the reader in to engage them to understand the author’s message more clearly. Authors who have a vague short lexicon tend to not engage the reader as much.

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe Metaphors

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “A dream within a dream” he writes about the death of his lover and how his life was effected, his reactions, and he tries to deal with it. He talks about how it all became so unreal to him and how it was difficult to get a grasp on what was going on. He talks about the grief he faced after the loss of his lover. Since Poe also lost his mother really young, he has a special appreciation for life. He believes that life is something special and that it shouldn’t be taken for granted because at any moment, everything can change. Life is a dream and death is an awakening. Poe finds that life is happier and more unreal when looking back on it after a death. A death awakens us. In order to convey these ideas, Edgar Allen Poe uses alliteration, symbolism, and metaphors. He believes that people who are lucky, will be remembered even after they have passed

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe's Obsession with Death

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Allegory In The Masque Of The Red Death

    1162 Words  | 3 Pages

    The reason I believe so is because as I considered Allan Poe’s biography when researching his work, the death of his mothers and wife is something I came across. His mothers and his wife all died of tuberculosis disease ( "Edgar Allan Poe: Childhood." ). They were all the women he loved very much. His life experience of his loved one’s death overlapped the story of Red Death. Aside from the point, both involved deadly diseases, his desire for his loved one’s lives can be seen in his character Prospero who also did not want to die. Like the Red Death, death caused by tuberculosis was also something that was inevitable. Unlike him, the character Prospero was at least able to create his own place isolated for a short period of time. Maybe it was something he wished he could’ve done; his desire. Regardless, at the end, he must’ve realized death wasn’t something that could be put off and there was nothing he could do so the characters in his story as well as in his real life faced

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe

    1539 Words  | 4 Pages

    Though an innumerable amount of interpretations of any given text might be drawn from a variety of perspectives, a structuralist analysis of two of Poe’s works help place their symbols within a theme related to myth and heroism.

    Read More

More about Edgar Allan Poe and his Literature

Open Document