Edgar Allen Poe’s tales and poems delve into the realms of fear and imagination, influencing genres like symbolism, detective, and horror fiction (Stern xxxviii). While his works evoke terror and trepidation, they also weave elements of fantasy. Poe skillfully creates analogous emotions in his readers as his characters experience in his writings. His common themes revolve around dreams, fantasies, the subconscious, and glimpses of the afterlife, which are beyond direct comprehension. Poe, known for his supernatural tales, excels at crafting gothic atmospheres. Troubled by his own darker side, Poe’s stories of revenge and murder mirror his personal conflicts. Despite possessing immense intellect and extraordinary talent, he feels deprived of the recognition he deserves. According to some colleagues, there is also a sadistic streak in him, deriving perverse satisfaction from causing harm (Stern 288). Examples of this can be found in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat,” where murderers commit successful crimes and initially go unpunished but eventually succumb to their own twisted impulses and confess.According to Myerson (287), Poe’s tales exhibit a merging of identities between the murderer and the murdered. One of Poe’s most skillfully crafted and concise tales is “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Unlike some of his other works, this tale lacks the gothic elements commonly associated with Poe’s writing style and instead reads as a tightly written psychological story, as noted by Stern (289).
Poe’s preferred genre is death and terror. Death is Poe’s favorite subject and obsession, evident in the variations of this theme in most of his tales and poems. Poe subjects his audience to death and the fear of the unknown, drawing inspiration from what lies beyond the grave or in the mind. Among American writers, Poe is unparalleled in continuously exploring and delving deeply into this subject, immersing himself in the realm of death. Throughout his life, Poe’s descent into the Maelstrom is a relentless and gradual spiral into the void, which consumes him at the age of forty. In Poe’s tales, unsettling feudal buildings suggestive of horrific and mysterious events can be seen as one crosses desolate lands. These tales of terror and death often occur under the eerie light of a blood-red moon.
E.M. Forester once stated that fantasy does not necessarily involve the supernatural, although it may imply it (Stern 55). While many people associate the ultimate fantasy with ghosts or apparitions, surprisingly, Poe never actually writes a traditional “ghost story”. Instead of spectral visions, Poe’s characters are the resurrected dead who emerge from their tombs to confront the living with their physical bodies (Stern 55). Despite their lack of tangible existence, Poe crafts these characters skillfully. He portrays himself through two main personalities: the hardworking editor, intellectual critic, and respectable citizen; and the disreputable individual who frequents seedy establishments and often finds himself in destitution (Stern 55). Through the story “William Wilson,” Poe brings to life the lifelong struggle between these two conflicting identities. In this tale, William Wilson serves as a representation of Poe himself, revealing the most about his inner workings. Ultimately, “William Wilson” is not simply a story but a symbolic confession authored by Poe.
Poe identifies himself as a poet, despite leaving only fifty poems behind. He describes poetry as not just a purpose, but a passion. His poems explore themes of love, introspection, death, and the sadness that comes with loss and grief. While some argue that Poe never achieves true fame, his literary career reaches its peak four years before his death. In 1845, “The Raven” is published in the Mirror, and it becomes a part of his major collection of poems called The Raven and Other Poems. In “The Raven,” Poe writes about a man who longs for an unattainable supernatural beauty. He defines beauty as the soul’s pleasurable excitement in pursuit of a perfection beyond earthly bounds. The narrator of this melancholic poem mourns the loss of a loved one named Lenore. Then, a stately Raven pays him a visit, perching above his chamber door. To some, this eerie black bird represents great evil, while to others it symbolizes a messenger from the narrator’s long-lost love.
Poe’s “Romance” utilizes imagery rather than argument to convey its message, distinguishing it from many other poets. The poem explores the contrast between the imaginative ideal world and the harsh reality of everyday life. Poe portrays a young man’s existence through the metaphor of a “painted paroquet,” a bird that taught him basic language skills when he was a child. However, the narrator can only see the reflection of this vibrant bird in a “shadowy lake.” This suggests that poetry, like the bird, can only communicate truth indirectly. In the second stanza, Poe alludes to the courageous and ruthless Andean vulture, contrasting it with the previous imagery. The narrator is preoccupied with keeping an eye out for the returning Condor. The impact of “Romance” is enhanced by its skillful use of changes in rhyme and iambic pentameter.
According to Magill (2244), Poe is famous for his poems expressing longing for a lost love. In “Ulalume,” Poe explores this theme in depth. The poem takes place in autumn during a significant year, with the speaker wandering through a landscape that is part-real and part-imaginary (Magill 2244). Throughout the poem, Poe focuses increasingly on creating an emotional impact. As night falls, two prominent figures appear in the sky: the moon and Venus. Venus rises to guide the mourner towards heavenly peace (Magill 2245). However, the speaker does not trust this goddess and she leads him to a tomb at the end of a vista (Poe 404). On the tomb’s door, he finds the name Ulalume, his beloved. Distraught, the speaker exclaims about his journey down to the tomb in October of the previous year, carrying a heavy burden (Poe 404). Through the speaker’s perspective, Poe questions whether supernatural forces have hindered their path and kept hidden secrets in these regions (404). Ultimately, the poem concludes with a question rather than providing an answer.
Edgar Allen Poe, an esteemed American writer, has left behind a legacy of remarkable literary works. His writings encompass eerie tales and poems that delve into themes of monstrous creatures, lost love, revenge, and death. Almost all of his works carry a macabre message, such as “William Wilson,” or convey a sorrowful statement, like “The Raven.” In his story “William Wilson,” Poe articulates, ” ‘You have conquered, and I yield. Yet henceforward art thou also dead—dead to the World, to Heaven and to Hope! In me didst thou exist—and, in my death, see by this image, which is thine own, how utterly thou hast murdered thyself'” (Poe 200). Critics have acknowledged Poe’s extraordinary contribution to literature despite his tumultuous life marked by poverty, anxiety, and tragic circumstances. He is hailed as an exceptional poet despite his reputation for insanity.
Creative Writing
