Poe's Best Loved Poems example essay topic

Edgar Allan Poe was a nineteenth century author best known for his poetry and stories of terror, grief, revenge, and death. He based his stories on the influences of his childhood through much struggling. He finally achieved success at the end of his life. Edgar Allan Poe's parents were actors. His mother, Elizabeth Arnold, was the main attraction of the acting company.

His father, David Poe, Jr., was a handsome but reckless man with a never ending compulsion to drink. When Edgar was still a baby, David Poe mysteriously deserted his family. His mother died shortly afterwards. Edgar Poe and his baby sister were then separated. Edgar was sent to live with Frances and John Allan by whom he felt neglected. He was in need of a maternal figure in his life.

When the Allans' moved from to Virginia Edgar became infatuated with Mrs. Jane Standard, the mother of one of his classmates. He came to her when he felt unhappy at home... He knew her for a year when she died at the age of 31, probably insane. Edgar suffered from her death and his behavior changed. He was just beginning to realize the power of his imagination and for a time he let his grief consume him (Magill's survey). Painful as this loss was, it eventually led to the creation of one of Poe's best-loved poems, ' To Helen'.

In 1825 John Allan inherited a fortune from a wealthy uncle. Edgar was privately tutored to enter the University of Virginia. Edgar was accepted and went off to the University Of Virginia. He thrived in the un restrictive university atmosphere.

But John Allan would not give him enough money for his education. Poe turned to gambling and drinking (G moser). After the first term his college career was over. He was over two thousand in debt. John Allen refused to pay these debts or allow him to go back to school. In March of 1827 Poe went to Boston where he published his first book, using a false name.

Tamerlane and Other Poems were published but only forty copies were printed. With little money and few friends Poe enlisted in the U.S. Army... Poe did not like the army so he managed to get transferred to West Point. He did not do his work there so he was kicked out. He ended up going to live with relatives. Despite Poe's talent he was unable to achieve success in his younger years.

After several different jobs in the writing field finally in 1845 he published The Raven. The poem made him famous... Poe had several published stories by the time he died. Unfortunately he did not live long enough to enjoy his success.

Edgar Allan Poe died in Maryland in 1849. He was found semi conscious on the streets and never awakened. When reading Poe's stories similarity can be seen between them. in both 'Ligeia' and the 'Fall of the House of Usher' both stories take place in old decaying settings. The time settings is sometime in the he past. in both stories there is communication between the living world and a 'living corpse'. This is seen between Roderick Usher and his twin sister made a line and the narrator and his beloved Ligeia. The narrator in Ligeia also suffered from opium addiction.

Poe knew how the narrator felt as he had to this addiction. Roderick Usher also had an illness. These characteristics made it impossible for them to function in the real world. Poe was always afraid that he was going insane. In 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and 'The Black Cat' the first person narrators both try to say they are not mad. Both narrators and Poe start their lives off doing rational things then end up becoming irrational.

Poe was concerned with what conditions could turn a normal person into a madman. These two stories have allot of similarities. Both of these stories the narrators are normal average people who loses their sanity momentarily. Both loved their victims. The narrator of the 'Tell Tale Heart' loves the old man he murders and the narrator of 'The Black Cat' loves and adores his wife and cat.

The murderers love for their victims makes their crimes even more irrational. Both narrators are very confident that they have gotten away with their crimes only to have their murders acts discovered. Poe being an alcoholic himself has many of his characters perform their horrifying deeds when they are drunk. Poe knew that alcohol would not have you thinking straight. In the ' The Black Cat' the narrator is drunk when he first kills the cat then his wife. In 'William Wilson' the narrator who assumes the name William Wilson hates the 'Other' that he drinks to get the courage to do something about the ' Other'.

William is drunk and out of his mind when he stabs the 'Other' only to realize he killed himself. In 'The Cast of Amontillado' the murderer Montresor is not drunk when he performs his murder. But still Poe has an alcohol playing an important role. Montresor is able to get Fortuna do into the vault Montresor gives Fortunate more wine making him drunk and not in his right mind allowing Montresor to cement him into the vault. The women that Poe loved in his life died on him. He would always search for the ideal woman that obsessed his dreams.

Many of Poe's greatest poems were written about woman who died. Poe had a pre-occupation with death and many of his poems reflects his thoughts of death and after life. In Poe's own words he writes 'The death, then of a beautiful woman is unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world and equally is it beyond doubt that the tips best suited for such a topic are these of a bereaved love' (Philosophy of Composition). Poe wrote ' To Helen' after Jane Standard died. The mother of one of his classmates that he had a crush on.

Poe refereed to her as 'Helen' a name that in classical literature is associated with beauty. In this poem you can see how Poe thinks there is a fine line in between life and death by mixing the living with a lifeless statue. Another poem where there is a fine line between life and death is Irene. In the poem the narrator is uncertain whether the woman is still dead or asleep. She still has the look of life even though she's dead. Many critics believe that 'The Raven' was one of Poe's best poems.

It is a never ending remembrance of a young man to a woman he loved. The poem tells how a man is in his study on a windy night when he is startled by a noise outside his window. When he opens the window a black raven swoops in. The only word he knows is never more.

To the grieving man the word is a reminder of the finality of death. Poe wrote the poem 'Lencre' when he was watching Virginia die. This poem tells you how you should see when a young woman dies. He tells you how the ritual should be not be read by people who had loved her so she could got heaven the Sabbath song from kind voices.

Poe took the death of his wife Virginia very hard. After her death he was only able to write four poems Annabel Lee, Eldorado, For Annie and Ulalume. These poems also death with the theme of death. In Annabel Lee the narrator tells how he loved the maiden and how she loved him only. Then she died just like Virginia did. Poe was probably wishing he had died instead of the ones he loved.

In Eldorado, Poe is telling how you should seek heaven when you are dead. Ulalume is a poem about the narrator going back to the tomb where he buried Ulalume a year ago. The narrator wants to know if the soul of the dead has left for the heaven. In these last poem's of Poe I feel that he wants to die and be with his loved ones. after Virginia died Poe had nothing to live for.

After reading Poe's works you can see how his life had a great influence on his writings. If he had not suffered so much grief the brilliance of his dark imagination probably would have never come through.

Bibliography

1) Lower, Nancy. 'Poe' 2) square press. 'Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe'3) Magill's Survey of American Literature. dar Allan Poe 4) Edgar Allan Poe / The work of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849. web) Grolier Encyclopedia.