An Extended Research Essay of Edgar Allan Poe

Born in Boston, Massachusetts to parents who were itinerant actors, Edgar Allan Poe marked a different sensation to his readers. Not only he was an American poet and a short-story writer, he was also an editor and literary critic to numerous papers during his time.

As an editor Poe struggled to raise American literature to the level of his own formidable intelligence and talent. His instability doomed this ambition to failure, but his own artistry somehow survived his impulse for self-destruction. Poe added the concept of professionalism to the role of the writer in America. For him language and its artful use was virtually an end in itself, transcending ideology.

He was born Edgar Poe but when his parents died, he was taken by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia, who never formally adopted him. After spending a short period of his time at the University of Virginia, and briefly attempting to join military, Edgar Poe and John Allan parted ways due to some misunderstandings brought about by Poe’s apathetic behavior. In spite of the hardships that Poe encountered, he was able to survive and make out all the things that seem to have vanished because of his being negligent.

Poe’s publishing career began humbly with an anonymous collection of poems credited only to a “Bostonian”.

Poe’s unbelievable gift and knowledge had created lots of amazing works of literature though at first were not given attention to, but were later on credited by his fellowmen. Poe’s most well-known fiction works are Gothic, a genre he followed to appease the public taste. Edgar Allan Poe’s most recurring themes among his works deal with questions of death, and mourning and many of his works are generally considered part of the dark romanticism genre.

One of his many amazing works is the ever-famous short and to the point story The Tell-Tale Heart.

The work shows how Poe’s mastery in literature created such an outlandish yet strikingly remarkable piece of tale. It is very much different from other forms and types of common stories that one would usually read. A usual story or tale essentially contains a clear and complete description of the setting, a precise representation and portrayal of characters having names and also a lucid identification of the stories point of view. But in Poe’s tale, the narrator remains a mystery to the readers having no name and sex at all. The setting and characters, on the other hand, are also not given the entire focus of the story. The setting is basically irrelevant; all that is known of it is that it is the home of an elderly man to which the narrator is his caretaker and apparently most of the action occurs here each night around midnight.

In the story of Poe, he has chosen to be very elusive with the characters. The characters remain nameless throughout the story, being given only the titles of “the narrator” and “the old man”.

In the story, the narrator insists that he is not in sane.

“Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Mad men know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded- with what caution, with what foresight, with what dissimilation I went to work!”

It is very obvious by the narrator’s actions- the very fact that he murdered an innocent old man because of his “evil eye”- that he is neurotic and mentally imbalanced. The narrator’s motivation for killing the man is notably obscure.

“It is impossible to say how Te first idea entered my brain… Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire.”

The only motivation of the narrator for killing the old man was plainly the old man’s deformed eye.

Poe’s tale is completely armed with strong foreshadowing, subtle irony, and vivid symbolism, which lead to an enormously improved story- a story of suspense.

The Tell-Tale Heart is in fact a great story to be considered. It is full of suspense and thrill enabling the readers to read more rapidly in order for them to know what the end story is.

Having gone through a lot of struggles, sufferings and hardships, Poe indeed is considered a great father of literature.

His love for literature motivated him to write his beautifully crafted poems and stories in spite of the hardships he’d been through due also for his being irresponsible and negligent.

In his supernatural fiction, Poe usually deals with paranoia rooted in personal psychology, physical or mental enfeeblement, obsessions, the damnation of death, feverish fantasies, the cosmos as source of horror and inspiration, without bothering himself with such supernatural beings as ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and so on.

The historical Edgar Allan Poe has appeared as a fictional character, often representing the “mad genius” or “tormented artist” and exploiting his personal struggles. Many depictions also blend in with characters from his stories, suggesting Poe and his characters share identities.

Many works of Poe is said to be similar to his very own life story. His famous poem entitled “Annabel Lee” is said to be dedicated to his wife Virginia Clemm who died because of consumption. Its subject, Poe’s favorite, is the death of a beautiful woman.

Another work of Poe is “The Fall of the House of Usher”. In the story the narrator visits the crumbling mansion of his friend, Roderick Usher, and tries to dispel Roderick’s gloom. Although his twin sister, Madeline, has been placed in the family vault dead, Roderick is convinced she lives. Madeline arises in trance, and carries her brother to death. The house itself splits asunder and sinks into the tarn. The story has inspired several film adaptations. The story also is said to represent the dark and complex life of Poe and the lost of family and loved ones and the lost of a home where love and caring should have been possible for him.

The dark poem of lost love, “The Raven”, brought Poe national fame. But as usual, connection and similarity was evident.

Poe had loved many women, even married for several times and got lost of his beloved for several times also. The Raven is said to portray the lost of love for several times most specifically in Poe’s own life.

In Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart, it is pointed out that human nature is a delicate balance of light and dark, or good and evil. What may push one individual over the edge will only cause another to raise an eyebrow.

The life of Poe is unusual making him create unusual and remarkable works of literature, which mostly is based from his own life story. Through this technique of him, people recognized his works making him famous and a renowned figure in literature.

Lost and death may be considered as factors for Poe’s recurring theme in all his works. And being exposed to things like these molded him to be a very uncanny individual. But in spite of all, people loved and adored him because of his works.

Although he lived a short and tragic life, Edgar Allan Poe remains today one of the most-beloved mystery writers in history. His contributions to literature and the mystery genre cannot be underestimated.

Poe’s contribution to literature cannot be undervalued for it contains a well-crafted flow of story that are mostly based from his tragic yet beautiful life that has given a way for a good and forever living work of art.

Poe may have died in a very indifferent, mysterious way, but people will always treasure him and his works making them live through out generations.

References:

“Edgar Allan Poe”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdgarAllanPoe

“Edgar Allan Poe: Biography”, http://www.answers.com/topic/edgar-allan-poe

Lodge, Robert A. And Sarah E. Laubacher, “Introduction”, Perspectives in Literature: A Book of Short Stories-2, New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1969. p. 1