Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

Melodramatic Life Determining the facts of Poe’s life has proved difficult, as lurid legend became entwined with fact even before he died. Some of these legends were spread by Poe himself. Two days after Poe’s death, his literary executor began a smear campaign, rewriting Poe’s correspondence so as to alienate many of his friends.

Early Life Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809, his parents’ second child. His father deserted the family and in December of 1811, his mother died at twenty-four. Poe was taken in by John Allan, a successful and stable Richmond merchant.

College and West Point Poe started off well at the University of Virginia, but running up gambling debts and drinking forced him to leave. He then enlisted in the army under an alias. His step-father got him into West Point, but he got himself expelled by missing classes and roll calls, he enjoyed being an enlisted man.

Meet Virginia His life was at its pinnacle when “The Raven” was published in 1845. His beloved wife Virginia was his only happiness in this “uncongenial, unsatisfactory, and ungrateful life.” Virginia died at 25 in 1847, he died 2 years later-possibly explaining his fascination with doomed female characters. (Lenore)

Poe’s Death During the last two years of his life, Poe was seriously ill--perhaps with a brain lesion--and drinking steadily. On Election Day, October 3, 1849, he was found senseless near a polling place. Poe held "...vacant converse with spectral and imaginary objects on the walls. His face was pale and his whole person drenched in perspiration."

Poe’s Death Mysteriously he was wearing someone else’s old clothes and sought medical attention. Eventually, he was taken to a hospital, he died on October 7, “of congestion of the brain.” He was delirious and had hydrophobia.

Theories of Death Cooping- voting Infectious disease Meningitis: type of inflammation Diabetes Beaten and robbed Lesions in brain Heart condition Rabies Hypoglycemia: low blood sugar Epilepsy Brain Hemorrhage Toxic blood disorder Choose a theory and explain why you chose it.

Rabies Most doctors believe Poe’s symptoms show death by rabies. He is buried in Maryland.

Poe worked in a variety of genres (1827-1849) Criticism--he gained a national reputation as a virulently sarcastic critic, a literary hatchetman. The bulk of his writing consists of his criticism, and his most abiding ambition was to become a powerful critic. Poetry--He was an experimental poet. Psychological fiction--He wanted to produce the greatest possible horrific effects on the reader. Detective Story--Poe created this form when he was 32, will all its major conventions complete.

Characteristics of Poe’s detective stories Poe places veiled clues before the reader. The writer/narrator strives to appear objective. Poe would have liked to solve everything by the mind. He was disturbed by what he could not solve by reason. The climax of the story is the narrator’s explanation of the crime.

Gothic Words 1. Dreary 2. Surcease 3. Implore 4. Beguiling 5. Silence 6. Obeisance 7. Burden 8. Ominous 9. Shrieked 10. Loneliness

Poe and the Gothic Poe did not want to write gothic stories; he started his career spoofing the Gothic. He said that he wrote, “Tales of terror, not of Germany, but of the soul.” He transformed tales of terror into psychological stories; he delved into the mysterious recesses of the human mind.

Elements of Gothic in Poe’s Fiction Grim setting Landscapes are often reflections of character’s mind; bleak and removed. Unusual buildings, extremes of nature, eccentric works of art. Supernatural or otherworldly elements. Dark vocabulary to create atmosphere.

Other elements of the Gothic Hidden evil Unspeakable, mysterious crimes, including incest and parricide; violent or gory. Obsession with Death Ghosts, blood, body parts Maniacal Laughter The discovered manuscript gives responsibility to someone else Deformity the groteque--people who don’t look right are capable of activity beyond the norm

An element of Poe’s style Poe uses vocabulary to create setting, for rhetorical effect, rather than for information. Modern horror films use music to create atmosphere; Poe used vocabulary. Alliteration and Internal Rhyme to help his poems flow.

Alliteration Repetition of consonant sounds Dewdrops Dancing Down Daisies By Paul Mc Cann Don't delay dawns disarming display .  Dusk demands daylight .  Dewdrops dwell delicately drawing dazzling delight . Dewdrops dilute daisies domain.  Distinguished debutantes . Diamonds defray delivered daylights distilled daisy dance .

Internal Rhyme “Some will win, some will lose, some were born to sing the blues … Don’t stop believin’, hold on to the feelin’,”

Hawthorne/Poe Hawthorne described the conflict between the intellect and heart. Poe described the conflict between two sides of the intellect.

The Raven Poe set the poem on a stormy night so the raven would seek shelter. Contrasted colors: white bust, dark bird. He chose the refrain “Nevermore” because of the sound of the vowels. He chose the raven because of its symbolic meaning of mourning and infinite remembrance.

Measuring Art How do you measure a poem or stories abilities? Create a graph: Perfection (artistic rendering of objective) and Importance (how important that objective). “Understanding Poetry” by J. Evans Pritchard.

The Poetic Principle Ars gratia artis: art for arts sake. Poe argues that art should be made for its aesthetic (love of beauty) reasons, not for didacticism (instruction). “This is a battle, a war and the casualties are your hearts and souls. In my class you will learn to think for yourselves again. Words and ideas can change the world.”