Edgar Allan Poe
The Inner World of Poe
By: Julie d'Entremont
Edgar Allan Poe was an American poet who became an
important person in the world of literature. His poetry is very descriptive and
tells a story. In his writing he covers many topics, but he is known for writing
about darker topics, like death. His poetry catches your attention when you read
it, and makes you want to continue reading. Edgar Allan Poe was a very gifted writer whose
poetry is definitely worth reading.
Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston
Massachusetts. He first became known for his short stories. Once he gained
recognition, his poetry was also recognized. Some of his most famous writing
includes; "The Raven", "The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Tell Tale Heart",and
"The
Murders in the Rue Morge". The audience that Edgar Allan Poe wrote for was a
more mature
adult audience. He is best known for his writing in the horror genre, covering
topics of loss and death. Edgar Allan Poe died on Sunday, October 7, 1849. On
October 3, 1849 he was brought to the hospital semiconscious, where he stayed
until he died four days later of "acute congestion of the brain".
There are many different ideas on the cause of his death including;
complications of alcoholism and drug abuse, going mad, and rabies. He was buried
in the graveyard of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Baltimore
Maryland.
Edgar Allan Poe's first collection of poems (Tamerlane,
and Other Poems) was published in 1827. Before Poe reached the age of three his
mother and father (both actors) died. He was taken into the foster family of
John and Frances Allan. After attending schools in England, Edgar Allan Poe
attended the University of Virginia. Poe developed a gambling debt and his
foster family would not help him out. He then had to leave the university and
went join the army. His step-father then helped him get into the United States
Military Academy. Within one year he was expelled because of
"academic violations". After this incident he broke away from the
Allan family and went to live with his Aunt Maria Clemm and his first cousin
Virginia. He later married Virginia. The two did not have any children. Along
with writing poetry Edgar Allan Poe also wrote short stories, and he was and
editor and a critic. Poe also suffered from alcoholism, and this was a factor
throughout his life.
Most of Edgar Allan Poe's work was published during his
lifetime because this was how he made his living. Some of his latest works
include; "Serenade", "To Helen", "To My Mother", "For Annie", "Eldorado", "The Bells" and
"Annabel Lee". They were all published between 1848 and 1850. His most famous
writing is probably the poem called "The Raven". Edgar Allan Poe know has a
set of awards that are given out to other gifted writers under his name. The
awards are called "The Edgars". They are given out by the Mystery
Writers of America to writers of different genres.
Edgar Allan Poe's poetry is very interesting to read because it is so
well written. While reading his writing the thing that stands out the most is
his choice of words. Every word is important and carefully chosen. Examples of
his use of language are found in these phrases, from the poem "The Raven". "and
each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor" and "Then
this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling". He is a very
descriptive writer, enabling you to picture in your head what is being said in
his writing, making it very effective. This poet uses
figures of speech extremely well. Often his entire poems may be a symbol for
something else. His poem "The Raven" is a symbol for death. It was written
right before his wife passed away. The topics which Poe usually writes about are dark but very
interesting. He tells it through a story and grabs the readers attention.
Edgar Allan Poe is a fabulous writer, whose work is very
interesting to read. While reading you must think about what is being said
making for an interesting read. His poetry is definitely worth reading and
studying. Edgar Allan Poe is a great American poet whose work is extraordinary.
Annabel Lee
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea:
But we loved with a love that was more than love--
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her high-born kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went on envying her and me--
Yes!--that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we--
Of many far wiser than we--
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling--my darling--my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
By: Edgar Allan Poe
I like this poem because it was written to tell the reader about how much he loved and still loves Annabel Lee. The poem is very enjoyable to read because it great flows and also has a rhyme scheme. In his writing, Edgar Allan Poe uses very descriptive language, helping you to better understand and picture what is being said. His use of imagery helps to paint a picture in the readers mind. He says in one line, "For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams" and this helps create the image of what he is describing in your mind. The topic that he chose to write about was the loss of his bride, Annabel Lee. I found this topic interesting because of how well he described the situation, how he felt and the comparisons that he made. I chose it over other poems by the same author because when I was reading it the whole poem just flowed together making it easy to read and enjoy.
Resources
http://www.mysterywriters.org/awards.html
http://www.poemuseum.org/poes_life/
http://archive.salon.com/audio/poetry/2000/10/31/poe/index
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=131
http://www.topicsites.com/edgar-allan-poe/pictures-edgar-allan-poe.htm
http://www.topicsites.com/edgar-allan-poe/