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What are your thoughts on Edgar Allen Poe as a poet?
Do you find him estranged or demented?

I think he is neither. Poe is a tormented soul, one of those creatures doomed to live out of his time, trying to fit in in a world hostile to him. His life is a testament to that and I see this in his haunted poetry. The struggle of an ancient soul striving to survive, and at the same time floating above, ethereal and dreamy. His poetry so fully emotional and atmospheric and there is something that always touches me deeply when I read his poems.

Despite the dark and gloomy nature of Poe's themes I consider Poe to be America's greatest poet. As I have often mentioned on these forums, Poe's poem, The Bells, is considered by critics on both sides of the Atlantic to be the greatest "sound poem" in the English language. It is a sobering thought to consider that his most famous poem, The Raven, was written in one sitting. Poe was without question a literary genius whose lyrically musical phrasing flies in the face of the somber moods they describe. He could effortlessly employ poetic devices such as alliteration ...

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;


"And the silken, sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain .."

... at will, while simultaneously weaving a story of unbridled effect which plays to the ear like a symphonic melody.

Poe lived a very troubled life. His drunken father abandoned the family when he was a child and left them practically destitute. He was then adopted by a rich family who treated him coldly and allowed him only a miserly stipend to live on while at school - approximately 1/3 of what he needed. He was expelled from the Virginia Military Institute. He then failed at various ventures and we all know of the death of the cousin to whom he was married which resulted in his attempted suicide shortly after by drinking opiates. When he was found unconscious on the streets of Baltimore four days before he died he was dressed like a pauper in torn and filthy clothes.

Despite the devils which plagued his life his inner soul expressed his torments in magnificently beautiful and soaring word craftsmanship. Perhaps this was the only means by which Poe could find the beauty in the world which had been so elusive to him all his life. It is interesting to consider: was Vincent Van Gogh demented?, was Poe? If they were demented they still managed to leave to this world a legacy of beauty and genius - perhaps the concentrated beauty for which they had both yearned but never found.

I can only imagine what was in Poe's mind and heart when he penned the following words. Shall we call this "demented"? Perhaps a better word would be "devastated?.

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 her sepulchre there by the sea—
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

DATO, that was a very profound review of Poe. I look forward to reading more of your posts. And in my humble o-POE-ion (lame!)
Poe was a gifted poet who deserves more respect from academia and the man in the street. Anyone who has not read at least one poem by Poe is missing out.

He's an incredible poet. "The Fall of the House of Usher" was the first piece of lit I read by him and it was incredible.

I love Poe's work my favorite piece I've read is probably Annabel Lee I remember reading his work in school thinking god this poor guy his work is so dark but its amazing

The Raven & Annabel Lee will always be my favorite. First poet to gain my interest in poetry.

you know, i went to d.c. a few years ago and poe's grave is actually really close to the oriole's stadium. before a baseball game i went to the graveyeard where he's buried and i found out that he actually has two graves. once his wife died, they moved his gravesite (which was previously unmarked) to a place right next to his wife's grave. for some reason, it's always struck me as romantic and sad, but still very memorable. if you're ever in the area, you guys might enjoy visiting and paying your respects. he was an amazing poet.

I think his work is not for everyone but rather for those who are willing to venture out from their comfort zone.

Personally, I think he's a great writer. Most of his work is a little out there but that's what makes him so unique and different from everyone else. He writes what he feels and expresses them in ways that a lot of people have a hard time understanding and find it way too far out there.

NekoLymar wrote:Personally, I think he's a great writer. Most of his work is a little out there but that's what makes him so unique and different from everyone else. He writes what he feels and expresses them in ways that a lot of people have a hard time understanding and find it way too far out there.

I agree on that. his works really makes you think on why he writes the way he writes.

One of the things that makes Poe so appealing is the unsettling nature his poetry gives to the reader . You are meant to be given the chill of uncertainty while reading his work. I have always loved his poems and admired his uniqueness and his ability to make you feel the haunting loss and despair.

I think Edgar Allen Poe is a prime example of the fine line between genius and insane! I love his quote "I do not suffer from insanity I love every minute of it !"

Everyone is demented to a point, some just choose to embrace it more than others. I'm honestly curious as to what he was like in real life- a first hand account would be amazing.

I love his story "The Raven". I work with a girl named Raven and I always tell her, nevermore.