Edgar Poe
"Poetry is a form of imaginative literary expression that makes it’s
effect
by the sound and imagery of it’s language ("Poetry")." Many poets
base
their writings on their personal experiences throughout life. Some poets
write
of their memories or hopes, or even dreams. Edgar Allan Poe was one of
the
greatest American writers of all time. He was known as a poet and critic.
Poe is
one of many authors who’s life has been reflected throughout his poems
and
other writings. E. A. Poe was born in Boston in 1809. He was orphaned in
early
childhood. He was raised by a businessman in England from the age of
six. He
returned to the U.S. after many years, remaining in private schools.
In America,
Poe dug himself into a life of alcohol and gambling. His
foster father, John
Allan, was displeased with this and forced him to
work as a clerk. Poe hated his
job as a clerk, quit the job, and went back to
Boston. This upset John Allan
extremely. In Boston, Poe published his first
book, Tamerland and Other Poems.
He soon enlisted, and served two years
in the United States Army. Afterwards Poe
published a second volume to his
book, naming it Al Aaraaf. He began reconciling
with Allan, who got him an
appointment to the U.S. Military Academy. Poe was
accepted but was dismissed
for neglect of duty after only a short time. Allan
then disowned Poe,
permanently. A couple of years later Poe’s third book,
Poems, was
published. He moved again, now to Baltimore, where he lived with his
aunt and
her eleven year-old daughter, Virginia Clemm. The next year he
released
another book, A MS. Found in a Bottle, with this he won a writing
contest.
Poetry Poe became an editor shortly after the contest, he worked
for Southern
Literary Messenger. During these two years at the company he
married his younger
cousin, Virginia. Viriginia became ill, and Poe moved
from job to job. After
eleven years of marriage, Virginia died and Poe
himself became ill. He had a
dangerous addiction to liquor and drugs. These
addictions are claimed to be the
reason for Poe’s early death in 1849
(Davidson). One of Poe’s greatest
poems, published only a few years before
his death, was "The Raven." The
poem starts off with a man falling asleep,
when a tapping starts at his door. He
lets it go, figuring it to be a
visitor, not sure if he heard it in the first
place. He begins thinking of
the woman he has lost for evermore, Lenore.
Finally, he opens the door,
for the tapping comes again only louder, but there
is no one there. He
whispers into the darkness - Lenore? No answer. The tapping
starts again as
he crawls into bed, this time the tapping is at the window. He
goes to
it....there stands a raven. He tries to speak to it, and the Raven
responds
"Nevermore." He begins thinking about Lenore. As he does, the raven
seems to
answer his thoughts with one word.... "Nevermore" The bird ends up
staying
even though the man pleads with him to depart. he then realized his
soul,
just as the shadow on the floor, cast by the raven, shall be lifted
-
Nevermore! The bird seemed to torture him to the soul. This was what he
needed
to bring him to realize he will never be happy again, for he will
mourn over
Lenore forever. While reading "‘The Raven,’ I had the
conception of a
raven - the bird of ill omen - monotonously repeating the one
word
"Nevermore," at the conclusion of each stanza, in a poem of
Poetry
melancholy tone, and in length about one hundred lines," says Young,
editor of
Poetry Criticism. Many essays have been written on the meaning
of Poe’s
poetry. In one instance it was written "here we might briefly
mention that
‘The Raven’ was more an attempt to outline Poe’s view of what
poetry
should be and should do than it was forth right demonstration of how
"The
Raven" came to be" (Kesterson 115). Only Poe himself really knows
what his
poem meant. In Kestersons conclusion h e states "Thus we can see the
split in
Poe’s imaginative world: there were elements of reality, and
there were
faculties of the mind or imagination (Kesterson)." Poe’s symbols
are such
mediations such as the dramatic bird and it’s voice. Kestersons goes
on to say
"‘The Raven’ is a virtual admission of universal disparity:
the
imagination is lost in the shadow that lies upon the floor, while the
inanimate
objects, bird and bust, stare out in triumphant rigidity
(Kesterson)." Many
believe "The Raven" reflects on Poe’s own life. It was
only years before
that he had lost his dear wife, Virginia. Poe may have
still been remorseful of
losing her. The bird in the story seems to symbolize
the objects in Poe’s
life, which torture his soul, something that may remind
him of Virginia, or an
obstacle in his life. The reflection of Poe’s life can
be seen in many of his
poems and other writings. His poems are highly
recommended to anyone who enjoys
poetry.
Bibliography
Davidson,
Edward H. Poe: A Critical Study. Cambridge: The Bolknap Press of
Harvard
University Press, 1966. 84-92. Kesterson, David B. Critics on Poe.
Coral
Gables: Miami Press, 1973. 23 "Poe, Edgar Allan." Microsoft (R)
Encarta (R)
96 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1995. Microsoft Corporation (c)
Funk & Wagnalls
Corporation. "Poetry." Microsoft (R) Encarta (R) 96
Encyclopedia. (c)
1993-1995 Microsoft Corporation. (c) Funk &
Wagnalls Corporation. Smith,
Dave. "The Essential Poe Selected By Dave
Smith." volume 14. New Jersey.
1991. 42. Young, Robyn V. "Poetry
Criticism." volume 1. Detroit, New York:
Gale Research, Inc. 1991.
419.