Nick Serrato November 20, 2013 Period 3 Edgar Allan Poe What makes Edgar Allan Poe such an interesting part of American literature? Edgar Allan Poe shows his ability to manipulate the English language by writing with great vigor and intricacy. As you will see, Poe utilizes certain themes and motifs in order to produce some of his most personal works. The unfortunate history of Edgar Allan Poe truly molds that man into becoming a very affluent character. The tragic life of Edgar Allan Poe led him to become one of the most influential writers of the English language. Edgar Allan Poe uses these trademark themes and patterns in his writings; this truly identifies Poe as a writer and also his character. “I prefer to reside with this latter camp, some members of which have expressed the insight that Poe’s narrators can be distinguished, stylistically, from one another and that Poe displays considerable stylistic versatility. He cannot be dismissed as having a single style, and his various styles are more often than not felicitous.” Some examples of Poe’s famous themes and motifs are as follows. Poe uses the theme of death as the ultimate consequence to one human’s wrongdoings in order to gain power. “What forces us to the brink of the precipice in Poe’s tales is our fascination with death, not only with the disguises of death.” Poe uses the theme of love in order to attract the reader into the story by creating an old­fashioned love tale that every reader dreams of. Poe emphasizes nature by questioning the state of physical being on earth. Poe uses similar patterns throughout his works of literature in order to represent the themes he uses. Poe objectifies the heart by being the center of all emotions, and also causing the most stimulation to the mind. The vast dreamscape provides an unclear message of what is happening within the mind of a main character. The idea of time in Poe’s writing identifies the ever­longing fate of what is awaiting the narrator at the end, whether it be the end of the story or of their life. As you can see Edgar Allan Poe utilizes various themes and motifs in order to give himself a unique personal touch to all of his works of literature, it’s almost as if Poe is speaking his own language. Poe uses these themes and motifs because they are based off his own life. Poe enjoys writing about death because death has surrounded him since his birth. Poe talks about love because it has emotionally humiliated him. Poe has always had “skeletons in his closet”, causing him to always question himself, and he always saw another being making decisions instead of him. Poe highlights nature because it’s the only thing that kept him inspired throughout his hardships. Poe’s life was full of troubled times in which he had little hope. Poe’s life has been full of emotion flooding his heart and all of this emotion causes Poe to express his feelings through solemn thoughts. Poe was always encountered with his friends and family members dying before he did, causing him to predict the time that he has left. The ever­going clock of life ticks forward, as Poe realizes that he will not be on this earth forever.Poe often seeks comfort in subconscious thinking, dreaming is truly the most purest form of subconscious thought. Poe was always troubled with his own thoughts and would often drift away in his own dreams. Poe’s writing most definitely has deeper meaning hidden behind a complex wall of worlds he uses to express what he has experienced. Edgar Allan Poe’s writing has been influenced and controlled by many unforeseen tragedies in his life. When Poe was young he was taken to England due to the fact that his parents died, so he didn’t know much about his parents. Poe’s childhood was miserable, no child should endure something like poe did. Poe eventually come back from to the United States to attend college, in such time he learned latin and french. So far one can tell that Edgar Allan Poe has some very unique experiences with his family, and education, but what does poe do with an education of latin and french? Eventually Poe goes on to publish his first poem and enlist in the army. Sadly Poe’s brother, Henry Poe, died in 1831. Poe still trudging along goes on to marry his cousin who was thirteen and died before Poe. Even without knowing all of Edgar Allan Poe’s life there is some major issues that Poe’s must deal with forever, possibly into his death. One could identify what events really caused poe to use the certain themes and motifs, his actual life provides all the inspiration Poe needs to write such gruesome stories, such thought provoking poems, and such an eloquent writing style. These writing styles thoroughly paint a picture of who Edgar Allan Poe really is. Edgar Allan Poe is a very complex man who has been through a lot of hardships, unpleasantries, and series of unfortunate events. After all of these battles of adversity it is hard to believe the sanity of Poe. Poe obviously has death,love,the beauty of nature, and even his evident death on his mind, as shown in his works. Poe’s personality is hard to identify, his word choice is very particular and the deeper meaning of his words are so intricate. “Poe was a very complex person, and his life story was a complicated journey of forty years.” This quote proves Poe is one of the most unique writers of American history. Poe’s personality is genuinely one­of­a­kind. With what Poe has gone through, nobody else in the world could compare to whom Edgar Allan Poe truly is. “For all the pity and irony of his life and personality, to my reading there is more character and and much mortality to the story of Poe as may be found in the quiet peace of many good men whose beasts were tamed to an easy yoke.” The philosophical assumption of Edgar Allan Poe is a very deep subject that will challenge the mind of any writer. Poe’s beliefs and thoughts combined make so much of a lethal package that even trying to comprehend his point of view may get oneself lost in their own mind. When you tie together Poe’s experiences with relationships, dealing with emotions, and overall mental insecurity, it’s really easy to fathom why Poe thinks like he does. All of the major events that Poe has experienced explain why Poe writes with such remorse, hostility, and terror. Events in Poe’s life have been surrounded by vulnerability and depression. Events such as the death of his parents, or the death of his wife caused Poe to feel empty inside. This emptiness builds up inside of him, as he lets it out in his writing it shows Poe’s true imaginative skill. From time to time in Poe’s works of literature he shows insecurity, almost as if he was devastated. Poe feels ridiculed by what life has done to him, and though he does not revolt, he gets enjoyment out of truly expressing his feelings. Poe has had little stimulus throughout his life, but writing was most natural to him. The history of Edgar Allan Poe has manufactured one of the most powerful writers in all of literature. The way Poe uses themes and motifs to his own personal advantage proves his true creativity and ability to express feeling through literature. The reasoning behind those certain themes and motifs is because of the sad and pathetic past known as Edgar Allan Poe’s life. Overall, Poe’s history has shaped and cradled him by giving him unique opinions and points of view in order to conduct true masterpieces. One might describe Edgar Allan Poe as one of the most feared writers of all time; though Poe would consider himself as being one of the most truthful writers of all time instead. Edgar Allan Poe’s past haunted him into becoming a phenomenal writer; in order for one’s self to become good literary artist, must they have to endure such terrible, scarring events like Poe did? Works Cited Brown, Arthur A. "Death and Telling in Poe's "The Imp of the Perverse." (Edgar Allan Poe)." Death and Telling in Poe's "The Imp of the Perverse." (Edgar Allan Poe)​
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MPT: Knowing Poe: Poe the Person​
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Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore​
. Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, 19 Jan. 1959. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Zimmerman, Brett. "A Catalogue of Selected Rhetorical Devices Used in the Works of Edgar Ellen Poe." ​
A Catalogue of Selected Rhetorical Devices Used in the Works of Edgar Ellen Poe​
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