Gothic Literature  It was an offshoot of Romantic Literature.  Gothic Literature was the predecessor of modern horror movies in both theme and style.  Gothic Literature put a spin on the Romantic idea of nature worship and nature imagery. Along with nature having the power of healing, Gothic writers gave nature the power of destruction. Frankenstein is full of the harsh reality of nature. Many storms arise in the novel, including storms the night the Creature comes to life.  The most common feature of Gothic Literature is the indication of mood through the weather.

Birth of Gothic Literature Romantic authors began to set their stories in eerie settings (namely castles) with aspects of the supernatural Much credit of the Gothic style goes to Horace Walpole Began building what he called a “little gothick Castel.” Gothic architecture reveled in irregularity: quirky battlements (medieval aspects) and overgrown landscapes Walpole then filled castle with various monsters and wrote the first famous gothic novel The Castle of Otranto The Castle of Otranto involved ghosts, living statues, eerie forest caves, and a new genre involving horror

Gothic Legacy Although the Gothic writers were most known for creating stories that involved the supernatural and dark forces of nature, many stories had serious undertones about society Many Gothic stories were written to express a sense of hopelessness about forces beyond control: frightening revolutions in Europe, industrialization, economic changes, suffering, injustice, evolving science, and unseen evils Many of the monsters that are familiar today may be very different in scope and appearance than what the original author had envisioned

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809, to David and Elizabeth Poe. Elizabeth died in 1811 shortly after separating from David and taking the three children David, Edgar, and Rosalie, with her.

The three children were separated David lived with their grandparents Edgar was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. John Allan Rosalie was adopted by another family.

When Poe was 6, he went to school in England for 5 years. He learned Latin and French, as well as math and history. He later returned to school in America and continued his studies. Edgar Allan went to the University of Virginia in He was 17.

Even though John Allan had plenty of money, he only gave Edgar about a third of what he needed. Although Edgar had done well in Latin and French, he started to drink heavily and quickly became in debt. He had to quit school less than a year later.

Edgar Allan had no money, no job skills, and had been shunned by John Allan. Edgar went to Boston and joined the U.S. Army in He was 18. He did reasonably well in the Army and attained the rank of sergeant major. In 1829, Mrs. Allan died and John Allan tried to be friendly towards Edgar and signed Edgar's application to West Point.

In 1830, Edgar Allan entered West Point as a cadet. He didn't stay long because John Allan refused to send him any money. It is thought that Edgar purposely broke the rules and ignored his duties so he would be dismissed.

In 1831, Edgar Allan Poe went to New York City where he had some of his poetry published. He submitted stories to a number of magazines and they were all rejected. Poe had no friends, no job, and was in financial trouble. He sent a letter to John Allan begging for help but none came. John Allan died in 1834 and did not mention Edgar in his will.

In 1836, Poe married Virginia Clemm. She died in 1847 from tuberculosis.

Poe worked as a newspaper editor and writer throughout his life, but he never made enough money to be comfortable.

On October 3, 1849, Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore delirious, "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance", according to the man who found him, Joseph W. Walker. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849, at 5:00 in the morning

Poe was never coherent long enough to explain how he came to be in his dire condition, and, oddly, was wearing clothes that were not his own. Poe is said to have repeatedly called out the name "Reynolds" on the night before his death, though it is unclear to whom he was referring.

Some sources say Poe's final words were "Lord help my poor soul." All medical records, including his death certificate, have been lost. Newspapers at the time reported Poe's death as "congestion of the brain" or "cerebral inflammation", common euphemisms for deaths from disreputable causes such as alcoholism.

is considered the best example of Poe's "totality," where every element and detail is related and relevant.

shows Poe's ability to create an emotional tone in his work, specifically feelings of fear, doom, and guilt. These emotions center on Roderick Usher who, like many Poe characters, suffers from an unnamed disease. Like the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart," his disease causes his hyperactive senses. The illness manifests physically but is based in Roderick's mental or even moral state. He is sick, it is suggested, because he expects to be sick based on his family's history of illness and is, therefore, essentially a hypochondriac..

The House of Usher, itself doubly referring both to the actual structure and the family, plays a significant role in the story. It is the first "character" that the narrator introduces to the reader, presented with a humanized description: its windows are described as "eye-like" twice in the first paragraph. The fissure that develops in its side is symbolic of the decay of the Usher family and the house "dies" along with the two Usher siblings. This connection was emphasized in Roderick's poem "The Haunted Palace" which seems to be a direct reference to the house that foreshadows doom.

is considered Poe's most famous work. This highly unsettling macabre work is considered a masterpiece of Anglo-Saxon Gothic literature. Indeed, as in many of his tales, Poe borrows much from the Gothic tradition.

In "Lisa the Simpson," a ninth season episode of The Simpsons, the Simpsons watch a fictitious TV special entitled "When Buildings Collapse." One of the buildings to fall is called The House of Usher.