1. EDGAR ALLEN POE
EQ: How did his life affect his work and how did his work influence literature?

2. POE
Lived 1/19/ /7/1849
Had a very tragic life filled with death, heartbreak, financial issues and alcoholism
This influenced writing a great deal
Married cousin when she was 13 and he was 26
Cause of death unknown (medical files from the time were lost)

3. POE
“The Raven” “Annabel Lee” “The Purloined Letter” “The Tell Tale Heart” “The Fall of the House of Usher” “The Cask of Amontillado”

4. POE
The first American writer to try and make a living exclusively through writing
(was not a financial success)
Pioneer in field of literary techniques, mystery and the short story
Father of the detective story (influenced Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his Sherlock stories)

5. POE One of the founders of Gothic literature
Includes motifs of mourning, death, premature burial, dark romanticism, self destruction, human infallibility, madness, sin, being outcast/reject
Very emotional (sometimes soap opera-y)

6. POE

7. Dramatic Irony
The readers know information that the characters do not.
This can include a secret, who the bad guy is, knowing the ending of the story before it happens, etc…
This literary element can build suspense and tension in a story.

8. Dramatic Irony
Example we know that Scar really killed Mufasa and set up Simba. But Simba and the good guys do not know this and it creates tension and suspense. The audience keeps waiting for the big reveal to happen.

9. Dramatic Irony
Or in King Richard III (a play), he tells the audience at the beginning he is going to secretly lie, cheat and murder his way to the throne.
So as he charms and persuades the other characters into believing he is the good guy, to follow and support him, the audience knows his real motives and what he wants in the end.