Edgar Allan Poe Inspired by Others: Drawn by Influence, Shaping Literary Legacy

Introduction

Statistics show that Edgar Allan Poe could very well be the best author/poet in history. His style and technique were so ahead of his time. He is known for his gothic or horror writing style, but Edgar also has some stories that teach a moral lesson. His writing career slowed down after the death of his wife, but he still managed to release decent content. The time period in which Edgar Allen Poe wrote influenced his writings. Edgar is known as the master of suspense and horror.

He is also known for his Gothic style, which is well demonstrated in two of his short stories. His style is created by his use of punctuation, sentence structure, word choice, imagery, and tone (Bartleby 1). Edgar Allan Poe was influenced by late great poets such as Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Thomas De Quincey, and E.T.A. Hoffman. He also inspired poets such as Oscar Wilde, Jules Verne, and Charles Baudelaire. Poe’s reputation was defamed by Rufus W. Griswold (World Poets). Griswold was an envious critic and anthologist whom Poe, with a lack of wisdom, had appointed his literary executive (World Poets).

Influence/Influencers

Edgar’s life had many ups and downs that sparked his work. People who read some of Poe’s work can see the connections he makes with the people in his life through his stories. Poe didn’t really turn toward literary works for his inspiration. Most of his stories came from his imagination and his own life experiences. (Oswego ¨His Inspiration¨ ) Edgar drew a lot of his inspiration and passion from many other authors. Charles Dickens inspired Poe’s darkest and most well-known poem in 1845. ¨The Raven¨. Charles had a real raven named Grip, who was his pet. (Oswego ¨The Raven¨ ) Although Edgar’s wife was his 13-year-old cousin (whom he married when he was 26), she was a major inspiration to him. When she died, the works of his poem ¨Annabel Lee¨ came into play. Another person who influenced Poe was his aunt. After his parents died, she was the only family that he became close to. (Oswego ¨Annabel Lee¨ ) She treated him as her own son, and he treated her like his mother (he married her daughter). He wrote the poem ¨To My Mother¨ to her in 1849. (Oswego ¨To My Mother¨ ) Poe has a lot more work that was inspired by other people. One might like Edgar because he writes his stories about real-life situations that he has been through. Poe is known as the author who started the horror period; because of this, he inspired many more writers who came after him. (Poetry Foundation.) Authors like Arthur Conan Doyle drew much inspiration from Poe and his works. Arthur wrote The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Although Edgar Allan Poe is dead and gone, his legacy lives on. There are over 250 movies, songs, and TV shows sparked by Poe’s work. (Oswego ¨Popular Culture¨ )

Views on class, race, and gender

Since many of Poe’s poems were short stories on or about imaginative horror, they did not reflect his views on class and race. As mentioned before, a few of his poems were written about some of the women in his life. “To Helen,” “Lenore,” and “To My Mother” were all poems written about a woman (Poetry Foundation). “Annabel Lee” was also a poem that was dedicated to a woman. It was dedicated to his wife, Virginia. Her death inspired many of his other works as well, including “The Raven” (Oswego’s His Inspiration). It is said that “To Helen” was written by one of Poe’s childhood friends, who inspired him to write poems even if his foster father did not want him to. However, many scholars believe that this was written in reference to Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world, according to Greek mythology. In “To Helen,” Poe talks about this lady’s “classical beauty” and how her beauty brought him to his home in Rome and Greece (A Short Analysis). “Lenore” is a dialogue between the narrator and Guy de Vere, the main character of this poem. She has passed away, and Guy de Vere blames her death on the people that were around her, saying that their hatred caused her to die so young. The narrator tells him not to be so upset about her death because she will be in heaven waiting to welcome him (Poe, Edgar). Lastly, “To My Mother” is another poem that was inspired by a woman. This poem was actually written for Edgar’s mother-in-law, Maria Clemm. In this poem he explains how this lady is the mother of his wife, whom he loved dearly. Many scholars believe that this poem is a letter of admiration thanking Maria Clemm for being the woman who birthed Poe’s wife.

Literary Devices: The Sleeper

Edgar used many literary devices in his poems. Poe is known for using devices such as alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia, assonance, and repetition. It is said Poe focused on these devices heavier than others because it gave a visual depiction of his gothic stories. ( Bartleby) In Poe’s poem ¨The Sleeper “, he uses some of the literary devices above. The poem is written in a couplet and triplet format. A couplet has two consecutive rhyming lines, and a triplet has three consecutive rhyming lines. In the first stanza of ¨The Sleeper,” lines 1-2 are examples of a rhyming couplet. (Cumming Study Guide)
¨At midnight, in the month of June,¨
¨I stand beneath the mystic moon¨
Also, in lines 3-4 in the first stanza, it is another rhyming couplet.
¨An opiate vapor, dewy, dim,¨
¨Exhales from out her golden rim¨

Poe wrote in many more styles. He wrote in many different literary devices as well. Poe’s writing drew the attention of the public all the time. His stories that used irony were the ones that had the best success or reviews. The genre really didn’t matter because Poe never disappointed.

Society Influence/Acceptance

Edgar Allan Poe had a great impact on society. He is known as the writer who created the horror story, and he is mostly known for his short stories. Many people don’t know that Poe was also a critic. High scholars have written about Poe. (EAPOE) They have often liked or disliked the poet so much they wrote like prosecutors or attorneys for the defense, and some disliked each other. (EAPOE) The influence of Poe can be seen through many details of everyday life. (Weebly) Poe’s literary works continue to frighten and amaze readers years after his death. Poe’s work has caused a change of philosophical and artistic expression in the world of literature, as well as opened new works of art and stories. (Weebly) Edgar’s influence can be seen through the mascot of the Baltimore Ravens, The Simpson’s reenactment of The Raven, and the idea that literary criticism functions as aesthetic evaluation. (Weebly) Poe also applied himself to the means of puzzles and graphology. As you can see, Poe left more to us than just short stories and horrors. He left a legacy for all of us to follow, not just for writers and critics but for everybody in general. Poe’s ability to leave his influence over areas other than literature makes him one of the greatest authors of all time.

Conclusion

As you can see, Edgar did a lot in his lifetime. He left a legacy for everyone to follow. He broke barriers in the writing business. He opened the door and paved the way for other writers like him who favor the horror or gothic writing style. Poe will forever be remembered. Although he has passed away, his writing lives on.

Works Cited

1. “Poe’s Legacy.” Edgar Allan Poe, edgarallanpoenhd.weebly.com/poes-legacy.html.
2. “Text: Thomas Ollive Mabbott, ‘Annals,’ The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe – Vol. I:
3. Poems (1969), Pp. 529-572 (This Material Is Protected by Copyright).” Edgar Allan Poe
4. Society of Baltimore – Articles – E. A. P.: A Critical Biography (A. H. Quinn, 1941) (Chapter 01), www.eapoe.org/works/mabbott/tom1p118.html.

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