Thoughts on Edgar Allen Poe

[Sarah_Khan]

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.

I agree with everything you said. I think he lived a hard, sad life and with his talent he managed to create beautiful literary works. Some of his short stories and poems are literally incomparable.
I think there are a lot of times where someone who has gone through unspeakable horrors manages to convert their experience into magnificent art that is both beautiful yet devastating.
There is a certain depth and sophistication in tragic things that we as human-beings find so alluring.

[ndounkeu2014]

An incredible poet

[alishaashley]

My life would be so complete if I were to meet Edgar Allen Poe in today's generation, his words make me think of what goes through his mind.

[Ashley 1820]

To be frank...i didn't know he was such an amazing poet!thanks to Dato!I will make sure I enjoy his works.Annabel lee sounds great!

[Caroline--1997]

Personally, I love his work. I could read him all day.

[Mely918]

I think his grievances allowed for him to be a timeless poet and writer. I don't think he was crazy or demented. Rather, he had the eccentricities of a creative mind, which is unfortunately often rejected by society.

[Sweetp120]

I found him truly as neither. As strange as The raven was it was a darker part of him, while Annabel Lee speaks of love, a lighter side to him, while his poem A Dream within a Dream was both light and dark, sort of grey if you will. to me these ranges in styles of poems only showed the spectrum of feelings that one can harbor without even realizing it. To me he was an exceptional poet, with the fact that for his era he was not afraid to express any of his feelings whether light or dark. I feel he was a foundation stone on the world of poetry that we have today.

[Sweetp120]

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.

I agree with everything you said. I think he lived a hard, sad life and with his talent he managed to create beautiful literary works. Some of his short stories and poems are literally incomparable.
I think there are a lot of times where someone who has gone through unspeakable horrors manages to convert their experience into magnificent art that is both beautiful yet devastating.
There is a certain depth and sophistication in tragic things that we as human-beings find so alluring.

I agree with you both, but see the following poem was neither fully dark nor fully light it was simple. it just was. there was no "dementedness" to it, for him it wasn't even devastating, but more in my opinion a plea to be real and tangible. he truly was a masterful man with words and feelings, and though we have our interpretations of what he may have expressed in his work it would have been an honor to truly have been able to ask him his true meanings.

A dream within a dream-

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow —
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone? 
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand —
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep — while I weep!
O God! Can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

[sarahmarlowe randomeducator]

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'm just stopping in to tell you that not only do I agree with your assessment of Poe, but your description of him and his struggle is beautifully done.

[IamShing]

He is my favorite. I see him as blessed with the curse of attaining too much knowledge and experience about darkness.

[Seeking_Adventure]

Annabel Lee is my all-time favourite poem! Poe's work induces a very specific feeling, which I think is the reason he is so loved.

[Hayley2-0]

I think I'll have to google Allen Poe then get back to you on that. I want to know why he's such a topic of discussion in poetry.

[Lady-of-Literature]

I love Poe. He is one of my favorite poets because of the find the gothic romantic not as scary of strange as its often portrayed to be. Almost like the Addams Family, it might make others around them feel unease, but they aren't uneasy in their core. In Poe's case, I think it would depend on the definition of the words. He wasn't estranged, but he was isolated. Probably because he had an isolated upbringing and felt out of place in the world he lived in.
He wasn't demented, I believe his grief and isolation furthered his depression. Back then mental illness wasn't as well known as it is today - I wouldn't be surprised if his thoughts and feelings were dismissed as demons.

[CharlizeGwapa]

I think he is super amazing. Nobody could replace the legend.

[Waylonsmommy]

Poe is one of my favorite poets. It’s true that his poems are not for everyone. Reading his poems makes you feel some type of way and if you’ve had some rough times in your life you almost seem to relate to his words more than someone who has had it pretty easy.