Edgar Allen Poe: His Works, Life, and Impact Edgar Allan Poe was an interesting American writer of poetry and short stories that changed the way many people viewed short fiction. His stories are read by millions of readers everywhere. His psychiatric touch to his stories are what made them so unique. In particular his story, “The Raven,” is a classic Edgar Allen Poe poem that is worth taking a closer look at.
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, in 1809 with his father David and mother Elizabeth. Poe was not even three when his mother passed away; his father passed away a week later. Poe was then taken in by John and Frances Allen but they never formally adopted him. “Allan, a Scottish-born tobacco merchant, was as strict and unemotional as his wife was overindulgent” (Carlson 18). Poe moved to England after spending a few years going to school in Virginia. Five years later Poe moved back to Richmond, Virginia and continued school. While Poe was enrolled at the University of Virginia he got into money trouble caused by gambling. When John Allen wouldn’t pay his debts he was forced to drop out of the University. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1827, and was stationed off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. During this year Poe got his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems, published. This work was a 40 page collection of poetry, and only 50 copies where ever printed. In 1829, when Poe was twenty years old, he was moved to Fort Monroe and made sergeant-major of his location. In this same year his foster mother, Frances, passed away. He also published his second book, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems. Poe also lived in Boston for a limited period of time but we know very little about his activities when he was there (Kennedy 25). A year later, he entered West Point as a cadet. In 1831 he refused to accomplish or participate in any of his duties and he got court martialed and had to leave West Point. His third volume of poetry, called Poems, was also published during this time. In 1834 Poe’s foster father, John Allan, passed away and left him out of the will. Through the next several years Poe became the editor of the Southern Literary Messenger, and at the age of twenty-seven married his thirteen year old cousin, Virginia Clemm. Over the next several years Poe had various writings published while he lived in Philadelphia. He also edited various publications. In 1836 he, “achieves fame as unacknowledged editor of Messengers, publishing his own essays, reviews, and reprinted tales” (Kennedy 194). 1839 was a big year for Poe, he was the coeditor of Burton’s Gentlemen’s Magazine, and he wrote several of his stories; …show more content…
After years of success and outstanding works, Poe passed away in 1849 from mysterious circumstances in Baltimore. All in all, Poe was an outstanding author whose works will forever be read.
Many writers have written critically about the work, “The Raven,” by Edgar Allen Poe. Two authors that will be discussed here are Leland Person, professor at Southern Illinois University, and P. Pendleton Cooke, an editor for the Southern Literary Messenger. They both bring a unique perspective to understanding Poe’s remarkable poem, “The Raven.” Leland Person focused on the self-deconstruction of the poem. “…he deconstructs not only his own “philosophy of composition,” but philosophy itself-making philosophy essentially synonymous with composition” (Person 59). Person notes that anyone who reads “The Raven,” is, in a sense, reading a story that parallels the student in the story. “At the most basic level, both the reader outside the text and the student inside it are trying to read “The Raven.” The raven, like the poem with which it is synonymous, utters a word whose meaning must be interpreted, although this is not to say that the raven is the author of the word, “Nevermore” (Person 59). In other words, Poe’s use of a raven to speak just one word leaves it up to the student in the story to come up with what it means. “White the raven (“The Raven”) utters only a word-only itself-the student (the reader) manipulates the text in order to make it mean what he wants it to mean” (Person
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, in 1809 with his father David and mother Elizabeth. Poe was not even three when his mother passed away; his father passed away a week later. Poe was then taken in by John and Frances Allen but they never formally adopted him. “Allan, a Scottish-born tobacco merchant, was as strict and unemotional as his wife was overindulgent” (Carlson 18). Poe moved to England after spending a few years going to school in Virginia. Five years later Poe moved back to Richmond, Virginia and continued school. While Poe was enrolled at the University of Virginia he got into money trouble caused by gambling. When John Allen wouldn’t pay his debts he was forced to drop out of the University. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1827, and was stationed off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. During this year Poe got his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems, published. This work was a 40 page collection of poetry, and only 50 copies where ever printed. In 1829, when Poe was twenty years old, he was moved to Fort Monroe and made sergeant-major of his location. In this same year his foster mother, Frances, passed away. He also published his second book, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems. Poe also lived in Boston for a limited period of time but we know very little about his activities when he was there (Kennedy 25). A year later, he entered West Point as a cadet. In 1831 he refused to accomplish or participate in any of his duties and he got court martialed and had to leave West Point. His third volume of poetry, called Poems, was also published during this time. In 1834 Poe’s foster father, John Allan, passed away and left him out of the will. Through the next several years Poe became the editor of the Southern Literary Messenger, and at the age of twenty-seven married his thirteen year old cousin, Virginia Clemm. Over the next several years Poe had various writings published while he lived in Philadelphia. He also edited various publications. In 1836 he, “achieves fame as unacknowledged editor of Messengers, publishing his own essays, reviews, and reprinted tales” (Kennedy 194). 1839 was a big year for Poe, he was the coeditor of Burton’s Gentlemen’s Magazine, and he wrote several of his stories; …show more content…
After years of success and outstanding works, Poe passed away in 1849 from mysterious circumstances in Baltimore. All in all, Poe was an outstanding author whose works will forever be read.
Many writers have written critically about the work, “The Raven,” by Edgar Allen Poe. Two authors that will be discussed here are Leland Person, professor at Southern Illinois University, and P. Pendleton Cooke, an editor for the Southern Literary Messenger. They both bring a unique perspective to understanding Poe’s remarkable poem, “The Raven.” Leland Person focused on the self-deconstruction of the poem. “…he deconstructs not only his own “philosophy of composition,” but philosophy itself-making philosophy essentially synonymous with composition” (Person 59). Person notes that anyone who reads “The Raven,” is, in a sense, reading a story that parallels the student in the story. “At the most basic level, both the reader outside the text and the student inside it are trying to read “The Raven.” The raven, like the poem with which it is synonymous, utters a word whose meaning must be interpreted, although this is not to say that the raven is the author of the word, “Nevermore” (Person 59). In other words, Poe’s use of a raven to speak just one word leaves it up to the student in the story to come up with what it means. “White the raven (“The Raven”) utters only a word-only itself-the student (the reader) manipulates the text in order to make it mean what he wants it to mean” (Person