1. Edgar Allan Poe

2. Early life Born in 1809 in Boston Son of two actors
Father abandoned the family in 1810 and Edgar’s mother passed away the year after.
Edgar was then adopted by John and Frances Allan and moved to Richmond, Virginia.
Poe had a tumultuous relationship with his adoptive father, and then often fought over Poe’s gambling, debt, and early drinking.
He adored his adoptive mother Frances, and her death in 1829 was a tragic blow to Poe’s stability.

3. Adulthood and Career Start
Before Frances died, Poe attended the University of Virginia but had to drop out because of the lack of funds.
After dropping out, Poe went into the Army under a pseudonym in
In the Army he began publishing poetry anonymously with Tamerlane and Other Poems in

4. He failed as an officer at West Point and decided to focus primarily on writing.
He began travelling and working in newspapers and periodicals in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia and became known for his particular brand of scathing criticism.
In Richmond in 1836, he married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm.

5. Poe had sporadic bursts of success, but in 1845 he published “The Raven” and it was an instant success.
“The Raven” is a poem about obsession. The speaker is a man obsessed by the memory of Lenore, a woman he loved who is now dead. As he struggles to keep her memory out of his mind, a raven flies into his study and keeps croaking one word, driving the speaker to the brink of insanity.
“The Raven”

6. Part of the poem’s popularity was due to Poe’s clever use of sound devices (rhyme, repetition, alliteration, and onomatopoeia).

7. Poe’s mystery
Virginia died of tuberculosis in 1847 and her death was traumatic to Poe; his mental health declined.
Poe had a problem with drinking and rumored drugs throughout his life; after Virginia’s death, his habits worsened.
Poe died October 7, 1849 at age 40; his death has remained a source of mystery— there are conspiracy theories as well as theories he simply overdosed on a park bench after taking the wrong train.

8. Elements of the gothic genre
The Gothic novel (and genre) was invented almost single-handedly by Horace Walpole, whose The Castle of Otranto (1764) contains essentially all the elements that constitute the genre.
Walpole's novel was imitated not only in the eighteenth century and not only in the novel form, but it has influenced the novel, the short story, poetry, and even film making up to the present day.

9. Elements of gothic literature
Setting in a castle – often old, abandoned, or surrounded by “dark” lands. The goal of the dark and mysterious setting is to create a sense of unease and foreboding, contributing toward the atmospheric element of fear and dread. Darkness also allows those sudden and frightening appearance of people, animals, or monsters.
An atmosphere of mystery and suspense – see above 
An ancient prophecy – either connected with the castle or its inhabitants

10. Elements continued
High, even overwrought emotion - The narration may be highly sentimental, and the characters are often overcome by anger, sorrow, surprise, and especially, terror.
Women in distress - . As an appeal to the pathos and sympathy of the reader, the female characters often face events that leave them fainting, terrified, screaming, and/or sobbing. A lonely, pensive, and oppressed heroine is often the central figure of the novel, so her sufferings are even more pronounced and the focus of attention.
Metaphors of gloom and horror
Appropriate vocabulary - words used to represent mystery, fear, terror, or sorrow, surprise, haste, anger, darkness, etc.

11. Elements continued
Omens, portents, visions – most usually occurs during dreams; sometimes omens occur as foreshadowing
Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events - Dramatic, amazing events occur, such as ghosts or giants walking, or inanimate objects (such as a suit of armor or painting) coming to life. In some works, the events are ultimately given a natural explanation, while in others the events are truly supernatural.

12. Poe and the gothic
Poe has common themes, motifs, and structures that make his work easily recognizable and fit his stories into the classification of the gothic.
Among these elements include the reoccurring images and subjects of death and decay, the presence of madness, characters suffering from insanity or other internal chaos, the supernatural in all of its forms, and haunted or macabre locations.

13. The fall of the house of usher
We will be reading this in the textbooks. The story begins on page: 412
Complete the reading guide (while reading or after).
The short story begins as the narrator arrives at the home of his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher. The narrator finds Usher greatly changed and depressed, and his home is in decay. The story examines why Usher has fallen into such a low state, the relationship with his sister, Madeline, and their legacy.