Thoughts on Edgar Allen Poe

[sallyzhang]

The first time I ever encountered some of Poe’s works was in middle school I believe. At first I just thought he was some dramatic angsty man who wrote depressing poems. But as I really read his works, I found myself standing in the place of his characters, and that’s when I knew that Poe was/would be one of my favorite poets. His writing is dark and gloomy sometimes, but it’s an accurate representation of life. With all the nice happy poems out there, there’s gotta be something that shakes you to your core as well. Basically, I think he’s an incredible writer.

[imSunshine]

i have heard of his masterpieces and his great name..we have discussed him on class and i personally think that he is so mysteriously intelligent

[Mai Tran]

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.

I think "tormented" hits the mark. Thanks for sharing your insights. That is probably why his stories are so "scary" (for lack of a better word) yet strangely alluring.

[imSunshine]

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.

I agree with you..this is a very deep explanation, i liked that you liked him

[Tommy Mayengbam]

I have read a couple of his works, but never have I thought of Poe as either estranged or demented, but his characters definitely are.

I don't remember exactly, but the sister in "The Fall of the House of Usher" gave me the creeps.

[Kathleen Dooley]

I never truly got into his work further than assigned reading assignments but I read A Mystery of Mysteries: The Life and Death of Edgar Allen Poe. It was truly eye-opening to how he created his work and exactly why he will always go down as a literary legend. I would recommend giving it a read if you've never dived into his personal history.

[Bron Bakers]

I like him as a poet. He intrigues me a pot and I can't wait for what he does next.

[Hella Layot]

"Edgar Allan Poe, the maestro of macabre, weaves tales that transcend time. His dark and mysterious narratives linger, casting a haunting spell on literature's vast landscape."

[Chris Konstantine]

Poe is one of of my favorite Authors, and a huge influence in my own writing style.

Some find him morbid and dark, but the real question is why? Poe was in essence a shattered soul, grief stricken over the loss of his beloved cousin and wife. This life-altering fact heavily influenced his works, particularly his poetry which many times took on a ruinous undertones.

But that was his pain I believe, and his manner of expressing it. I write poetry myself, and perhaps one day I'll share some with you all, much of that work is an expression of emotion, particularly pain and loss.

If you look at some of Poe's short stories such as the "The Man That Was Used Up", sometimes subtitled "A Tale of the Late Bugaboo and Kickapoo Campaign", you will see the humorous side of Poe and a delightful wit.

In the end I believe he was more "normal" than some people realize, but he was wounded mortally early in life, not in the body but the soul.