1. Edgar Allan Poe
American Romanticism

2. Biographical Background
Born in Boston to parents who were actors
His father abandoned the family when Edgar was only one and his mother died about a year later
Poe’s uncle, John Allan, took Poe in but never really approved of him
Poe quit the University of Virginia after only one semester and traveled to Boston at 18 to attempt to earn a living; instead, he enlisted in the Army
It should be emphasized how unstable Poe’s home life was. This, perhaps, can help to explain much of his erratic behavior in life.

3. Biographical Background
While in the service, he published his first book which was a collection of poetry
After being discharged, he published a second book of poetry and then attended West Point in 1830, but soon wanted to leave, so he got himself court-martialed
Poe traveled to New York City in 1831 and released a third book of poems
He then moved to Baltimore where his first cousin Virginia Clemm (and other family) lived and attempted to make a living writing (publishing in newspapers, etc.)
Poe married his cousin in secret and had another public wedding later when she was 16. Poe’s life was full of rejection; this should probably be factored in to his decision to marry his cousin. (His childhood sweetheart married another man while he was at UVA.) Even for the day, it would have been quite unusual and even illegal to marry a girl so young – they forged her birth certificate to get away with the initial wedding.

4. Biographical Background
Poe married his cousin when she was 13 and he was 26
Poe’s drinking and erratic behavior made it difficult for him to maintain jobs publishing
His wife’s death in 1847 caused him to
drink even more
Poe died in Baltimore in 1849 under
mysterious circumstances – he was found
delirious on the streets of Baltimore and
died in the early morning at a local hospital
Poe died at only 40, and while many people believed that he was rude and irrational, those closest to him saw him as kind and misunderstood.
Poe’s grave in Baltimore

5. Poe’s Writing
Considered by some to be America’s greatest writer, he built his reputation through the following:
Poems
Short Stories – Horror and Mystery
Literary Criticisms
In his writing, he was especially known for his use of surrealism and a concentration on the duality of man.
Poe is considered an American Romantic and a Surrealist in terms of his writing
Romanticism and Surrealism will be defined on later slides.

6. Romanticism & The Nature of His Works
First, Poe was a “romantic” which means that he was more interested in communicating an idea as opposed to writing a realistic story
Like Hawthorne (another Romantic), he looked at the darker side of humankind
However, he went beyond: he saw humankind as truly monstrous
Poe’s duality reflects his philosophy that all of us are two people – a social being and a monster/beast
Again, he is considered the first surrealist writer
In many ways, Romanticism is the polar opposite to Realism. Each emphasizes ideas differently – unrealistically or realistically.

7. Surrealism Surrealism: literary and artistic technique that
attempts to express the workings of the
subconscious through fantastic imagery and often
illogical and juxtaposed subject matter
Surrealist images. Salvador Dali is perhaps the most famous painter using this concept. However, Poe used it in his writing as dream imagery would be fashioned into the narrative.

8. Poe’s Philosophy and Style
His poetry and works of fiction reflect this duality and surrealism: Romantic poems about beautiful women in idyllic situations and short stories that explore men’s minds and examines the “beast”
Poe believed that the “social self” attempts to contain the beast, but the beast inevitably gets out
Additionally, the beast does not like being “seen”
Finally, we are plagued with guilt and conscience which always seeks to confess the beast’s actions
In short, we are evil creatures “plagued” with a conscience
These philosophical points can be readily applied to his works, such as “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat.”

9. His Style and Impact
All stories of the occult and terror come from Poe (Stephen King and Alfred Hitchcock)
He also originated the “detective mystery”
Poe is the “father” of modern horror.

10. His Style and Impact
Wrote essays about how to write; these influenced many writers who came after
Said that one should write to achieve a single effect, and with the fewest words needed
This has greatly influenced the economical nature of the short story and compression in writing
His impact is felt to this day.