Edgar Allen Poe

1
Edgar Allen Poe

• 1809-1849

2
Beginnings

• Born in Boston to traveling actors
• _at_2 father abandoned mother died
• Raised by John Allan a wealthy tobacco merchant
• Shaky relationship
• Never formally adopted as heir

3
Poe as a Young Adult

• Dropped out of U of VA substantial debt
  (gambling)
• Army 2 years
• _at_20 worked as editor of magazine
• Married his 13 year old cousin
• To keep her from being split from family
• Never consummated relationship, loved her in a
  brotherly way

4

• Began writing for a magazine
• Became emotionally unstable/bouts of
  drunkenness?? (couldnt tolerate alcohol, lesion
  on brain opium to control pain)
• Never happy, always looking to future
• Wife died _at_24 he was then with many women,
  engaged twice
• Found dead in Baltimore, unconscious on sidewalk

5
Literary Achievements

• Poes literary criticism led to theory of
  Romantic litr.
• Gave short story its form (w/Hawthorne)
• Invented the detective story
• Stories of detection and horror
• Explores the dark side of our inner experience
  imagination used to explore the irrational world
  of human mind

6
Literary Achievements

• Imprt. Amr. Poet unreal atmosphere
• musical effects
• Favorite/most worthy subject death of
  beautiful woman
• Main theme dissolution of personality
• man works against his best interests

7
Literary Devices

• Alliteration (nearly napping)
• Internal Rhyme
• Assonance (flung the shutter)
• Consonance (truly your forgiveness)