Edgar Allan Poe example essay topic

The writer of these words was enchanted by darkness... thrilled by death. What sort of person would spend their whole life linking hands with Death and her counterparts? Quite possibly a literary genius by the name of Edgar Allan Poe. Famous for romanticizing the darker, more Gothic side of life, E.A. Poe had quite a collection of works from his lesser-known stories to his most famous poem, "The Raven".

This great man's life has been analyzed to death (no pun intended) to find keys to unlock the maze of his apparent creativity. Here, the reader will find only an in depth look at "The Raven", information on the author's life and lifestyle, a brief look at other Poe works, criticism on his writings, and some unusual ways his fame has been Honored. To begin with, "The Raven" holds a dark sense of elegance, which has been appealing to many since it was written in 1845. The theme of "The Raven" is simple: a man suffering the loss of his love is visited by a speaking raven, whose repetitious, meaningless answers torture him to the point of insanity (see Appendix R) (Decoder, Internet). The feeling of lost love portrayed in the poem might have reflected the death of Poe's wife, Virginia, in 1847 (Qrisse, Internet). As it is read, a definite rhyme scheme is present: internal rhyme in the first and third line and end rhymes in lines two, four, and five.

All eighteen stanzas of the poem are arranged like this, but Poe never makes it seems unexciting or repetitious. Probably the most noticeable and most brilliant aspect of "The Raven" is it's saturation of symbolism. The raven (see Appendix R) itself is the main symbol, representing the man's self-torture uncovered in the work. Because the raven does not comprehend or reason its answers, it allows the man to interpret them however his mind allows, which gives the reader a look at the mind's unstable mind state.

The bust of Pallas that the raven perches upon to preach its "wisdom" is another strong symbol. Pallas is the goddess of wisdom, and an eerie feeling is felt as the raven sits upon it and appears to speak nonsense. When questioned about his reasoning for using the bust of Pallas in his poem, Poe replied because of the "sonorous of the word, Pallas, itself". Two other symbols that are not so apparent are the use of "midnight" and "December". Both signify darkness, an end, or a change to something new. The chamber the narrator speaks from could be interpreted as a symbol, as it represents loneliness.

The expensive furnishings of the chamber appear to say that the beauty and riches the man surrounds himself in will not replace his love (Qrisse, Internet). Edgar Allan Poe entwined all these symbols in "The Raven", a deliciously twisted poem about the death of beauty and the heartache it causes. Poe lived a solitary, reckless life, which included the use of alcohol and drugs. Born in 1809 to parents, Eliza Poe and David Poe Jr., he was orphaned before the age of three. His father died at the age of 36 and his mother died at 24 from tuberculosis (Payge's, Internet). Poe was sent live with foster parents, John and Fanny Allan (see Appendix J).

In 1826, he entered the University of Virginia. He was a good student, but eventually turned to gambling to pay debts. It was during this time that Poe had his first romantic interest, which ended on a harsh note (see Appendix E). Despite grades and ambition, Poe had to leave college because of lack of money. A year later, he enlisted in the army for two years, after which he entered WestPoint. Then, halting his solitary life, Edgar married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia, in 1836.

On October 5, 1849, he was found unconscious and on drugs; three days later he died, possibly of rabies (Qrisse, Internet). Edgar Allan Poe's appearance is a surprisingly interesting topic, one that may be addressed with some importance. Poe was apparently an attractive, fit man (perhaps due to his earlier, short-lived military career). He also appeared dark, drawn in, and, towards the end of his life, sickly.

Poe was a small man with records showing approximately 5 feet 8 inches in height and 140 pounds in weight. Documentation reveals that Poe's eyes were odd, and even a bit disturbing. Information varies whether the color was gray hazel, blue, or violet. Whatever the color, his eyes commanded the attention of his face. According to Mary Star in 1888, "His eyes were large and full, gray and piercing". Maybe because of his regular drinking and his indulgence in the nighttime hours, Poe's complexion was always pale, almost to the point of translucence (Society, Internet).

Poe's characteristic looks are a few of the things that made him a memorable person for anyone meeting him to remember. Poe's lifestyle was a bit of an enigma, and it was always questioned how he manifested such dark and morbid tales. Throughout his life he had few friends; those he had, he did not rely on them. Poe was an obvious alcoholic and a rumored heavy drug user. Surprisingly, he had a well-established college career, the short time that he attended.

His activities included athletic and artistic abilities, and he was a member of the debate club. In his later life, he used fake identities for reasons unknown (Ex. Henri Le Rennet). Answers to the mystery of Poe's life remain untold, only his works survived to speak their story (Qrisse, Internet). "The Raven" is by far the work for which Edgar Allan Poe is most well known. However, by the time of his death, he had compiled a variety of poems, short stories, and other works.

Poe's first book was titled Tamerlane and other Poems, and it was not published under his true name. In 1832, he won $50 for "Manuscript Found in a Bottle", but it was hardly enough to support him as he waited for his other works to catch on to the public. The short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is considered to the first real detective story (Qrisse, Internet). Poe had the theory that all poems should be written short enough to be read in one sitting, so the reader will find no poems that are long enough to fill a small book among Poe's works (Decoder, Internet). Other famous works by Poe are included in the following list:" The Fall of the House of Usher " The Pit and The Pendulum" "The Tell-Tale Heart" "To Helen" "The Bells" "The Black Cat" "Eureka" "The Masque of the Red Death" (Gothic, Internet) It is a common misconception that Poe was entirely "dark" and all of his works mirrored that.

Poe had a humorous side, which shined in some of his writings. He liked to use plays on words and other small, seemingly childish things to amuse himself, if not the audience. For example, in the short story "The Devil in the Belfry", a small town has an obsession of the clock in its center. The town is named Vondervotteimittis (spoken aloud and the reader realizes it is heard "wonder what time it is"). Not just one or two works had a lighter side to them either. The following is a list of some of Poe's less grave works:' Oh Tempor a, Oh Mores' 'Lines on Joe Locke' 'Epigram for Wall Street' 'Why the Little Frenchman Wears His Hand in a Sling' 'Peter Pendulum: The Business Man' 'The Man that was Used Up' 'The Devil in the Belfry' 'The Spectacles' 'Some Words with a Mummy" 'The Angle of the Odd' For someone with so many famous works, it is understandable that he should receive criticism, both good and bad, on his efforts, which were known to be inspired by Lord Byron (Qrisse, Internet).

As a general comment, it was once said", [Poe's obsession] was the grave... ". (Blackness, 101), and this surfaces throughout his writing. Not necessarily a criticism to his works, but rather his train of thought, it was said, "Poe's fantasies are strangely materialistic". (Blackness, 104). The darkness of his works was described by having "Night, who reigns supreme over his poetry".

(Blackness, 120). In an effort to analyze "The Raven", and Poe's choice for the bird, the following was written:" Ravens, that with delight feed on carrion, seem to be remarkable types of devils, who delight prey upon souls of the dead... devils are spirits of the air. The raven by its blackness represents the prince of darkness. Sin and sorrow and death are all in the Scripture represented by darkness or the color black, but the Devil is the father sin, a most foul wicked spirit, and the prince of death and misery". (Blackness, 32) "Most of Poe's stories have a continual motif of obsessive-compulsive behavior" (Archetypal, Internet).

This may seem to be a general statement, but upon looking at more of Poe's works, it turns out to be a dead on observation. While Poe has been praised for his morbid thrillers, his audience has on occasion expressed dislike for the romanticizing of the darker side of life:' Mr. Poe is too fond of the wild - unnatural and horrible! Why will he not permit his fine genius to soar into purer, brighter, and happier regions? Why will he not disenthrall himself from the spells of German enchantment and supernatural imagery? There is room enough for exercise of the highest powers, upon the multiform relations of human life, without descending into the dark, mysterious, and unutterable creations of licentious fancy". (Society, Internet) The following was once written in a letter to Poe by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, to whom Poe had dedicated a book: "Your 'Raven' has produced a sensation, a 'fit horror,' here in England.

Some of my friends are taken by the fear of it and some by the music. I hear of persons haunted by the 'Nevermore,' and one acquaintance of mine who has the misfortune of possessing a 'bust of Pallas' never can bear to look at it in the twilight. ' (It must be noted that Poe borrowed the form he used for stanzas in "The Raven" from her.) Which brings the reader to another thought: are Poe's works genuinely understandable enough to make them liked? R.H. Stoddard, a journalist, commented, "As a poet, Poe ranks high, although most of his poetry is unreadable... The school of literature to which Poe belongs, and of which he is certainly the master, is one that we thoroughly dislike". (Society, Internet) Another criticism expresses the concern (neither positive nor negative) of the apparent recurring themes in Poe's works. Obvious repeated, sometimes overused, themes are the use of the eye, the heart, an un-named narrator, premature burial, a vortex, and dreams (Motifs, Internet).

Probably the most accurate and non-degrading comment on Poe that sums up his work, style, and life was made by Jules Verne when he stated, "You might call him [Poe] 'The Leader of the Cult of the Unusual'. ' (Society Internet) Edgar Allan Poe's work receives criticisms both good and bad for his famous works, writing style, and lifestyle, and there are many more not mentioned here. His fame draws opinions of his creations. Edgar Allan Poe's fame goes far beyond having a book or two published.

In South Carolina, Poe is honored by having a library named after him, named, creatively enough, The Edgar Allan Poe Library (Qrisse, Internet). There is a museum built in his dedication, which houses a statue built to honor Poe and his parents. The 1994 movie "The Crow" owes, no doubt, tribute to "The Raven's" fame for the theme and for quoting the novel in the script. The National E.A. Poe Historic site was built in his honor, as well as the Moses Ezekiel Statue. Surfing the Internet super-highway, one will find the Edgar Awards at Mystery Writers of America, inspired by Poe. The Raven is a brilliantly dark poem in which Poe discusses the tragic ness of loss and the feelings of darkness.

Poe's life and lifestyle was a series of events that inspired him to create all of his well-acclaimed works, which raised both positive and negative criticisms. Poe's fame has been honored in various ways throughout time, whether for the good or the bad. The readers can only be certain Poe and his works will be forgotten "Nevermore.".