Edgar Allan Poe: Influence In Horror And Poetry Itself

American writer Edgar Allan Poe (also known as an editor and literary critic) was a poet and short story writer. His focus was on horror and mystery. Poe was the son of two actors. His mother also died that year. After being orphaned, he was adopted by John & Francis Allan. He lived with them as a neglected boy and participated in many military activities. However, he eventually dropped out of West Point. Poe was a powerful and influential writer worldwide. His use and influence of literary devices allowed him to be an influential author amongst many well-known modern writers.

Poe’s use of literary devices in poetry and short stories was a hallmark of his work. There are many literary devices that Poe used, including dramatic irony, foreshadowing and repetition. Fortunato’s tragic adventure that led to his death was shown through Fortunato’s use of foreshadowing. He uses dramatic irony in “The Cask of Amontillado,” which shows Fortunato’s ignorance of what was to come in the catacombs. The reader is assisted by his use of alliteration in “The Raven”, rhyme, onomatopoeiassonance, repetition and repetition. “While, I pondered weakly and weary” is an illustration of an alliteration. “TAP TAP TAP TAP,” the Raven’s chant, is another example of an onomatopoeia. Poe’s repeated repetition of “Nevermore” in every verse creates a feeling of sadness and sets the tone for the whole poem. Poe was an expert in symbolism and made use of it to its fullest extent in all of his works. Multiple examples of symbolism are found in the story “The Pit and the Pendulum”. The pit is the place of hell. He tried to escape once, but was forced back by the walls. The pendulum, which represents the impossibility of stopping time, swings in accordance with the beat of the narrator. The raven enters “The Raven” with an assertive attitude, always reminding us of our mortality. The Bust of Pallas stands for Pallas Athena. She is the Greek goddess of wisdom and where the raven rests. It shows the Raven’s wisdom, much like the Greek goddess. Anadiplosis can be used when the last sentence or words are used in the following sentence. This is a great example of Poe’s use of anadiplosis in “The Pit and the Pendulum”. He wrote “…That my imagination could not force me to consider unreal. Unreal-even as I breathed.” and “For the instant at last, it was liberating. The inquisition had me free and at my disposal This literary device gives life to the story in a dramatic way and intensifies the impact of the situation.

The Black Cat is an Edgar Allan Poe story that is full of horror and shock. Many themes are covered, including violence and alcoholism as well as his remorse. The story is told first-person. At one point, the narrator takes the reader to his home and shows him that he was happy. The young couple are both passionate about animals, and they have plenty. This is a Poe-story and everything goes horribly wrong. In no time, the home scene transforms into a story of domestic abuse and even murder. His irrational behavior and decisions eventually destroy and devastate his life. Pluto was the name that the narrator gave the black cat, which he loved very much. Poe is fond of using the names of greek and roman mythology gods or goddesses in his works. The name Poe gives the black cat is also the Roman name for the underworld. This is a metaphorical name that has a hidden message. The story shows how harmful alcoholism can be. When the narrator began drinking, he started domestically abusing his wife, and neglected the animals. Poe could have also used this story to address the “Temperance Movement”.

Poe created the Temperance movement to try and convince people that alcoholism was dangerous. The nature alcoholism made it easy for the narrator indulge in violence. The narrator began to have a bad temper and started doing gruesome things like goinguge the black cat’s eye, then eventually he killed his wife with an electric axe through the head. The narrator’s violent temper and his temper eventually lead to the destruction of his entire family. He mentions in the beginning: “But tomorrow I die, but to-day would unburthen me soul.” and he is currently in prison writing about what led to his death to try to liberate himself. Poe’s impact after his death led to the formation of the “Art for Art’s Sake”, a movement which was known for its predecessor in the 19th century. There are two key points to Poe’s theory of success in literature. The first is that the work has to have one effect on readers. Second, this work should have one effect. It shouldn’t be left to chance. Poe states in his essay “The Poetic Principle”, that a poem doesn’t need to have an extremely deep meaning to be considered one. It is as valuable and even more so than a poem with a deep meaning. It would be obvious that there is nothing more satisfying than a poem written without any reason other than to write a poem.

Art for Art’s sake is a concept which rejects the role of art as a tool for political or religion. Instead, it allows poets, artists, and authors more creative freedom. It’s the belief that art doesn’t need to be justified and that art is beautiful in its own right. The song “Art for Art’s Sake” is a reference to English art history and letters to Don Walter Pater, an Oxford-based artist and leader of the aesthetic movement. Art was used in many religions. Art for Art’s Sake was an attempt to rebel against that. Many academic painters felt that they had a responsibility to present art with Christian morality, while modernists wanted more freedom. Modernists believed art should be created not for the sake of the general public but for its own purposes. The conservative middle-class values that emphasized the importance of art being made for society and religion was soon to challenge the movement. Art for Art’s Sake was a vital component of discussions on censorship and art’s significance during the Postmodernism era. Advertising and finally film became increasingly important parts of everyday life. Also, art can be created with computers, including graphic design, animation, and graphic design.

Edgar Allan Poe’s time in life was not filled with the best experiences. Some may even call it a very tragic end. He was alive at the time and was being critiqued by many people who didn’t like his dark poetry or his storytelling style. Poe was a journalist and editor for magazines. He wrote many essays, poems and reviews. His job as a writer and critic was to expose bad writing, authors, and demand that American literature be held to higher standards. Poe was nicknamed the “Tomahawk Man” because he was a vicious critic. He was a stern critic and caused problems for his magazine. Poe would eventually make New York his home in 1844. He would publish “The Raven”, which would become a literary phenomenon and boost his popularity. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow criticized Longfellow’s writings during 1844. Poe claimed Longfellow copied his work. He was retaliated to. Poe’s harsh criticism made him enemies. Rufus Griswold, a writer known for his harsh criticisms of Poe, tarnished Poe’s image by portraying him as a drunk who abuses women physically and mentally. The first biography of Poe was then created by Griswold, which only fuelled the flames and further perpetuated the myths. Griswold did this in revenge for Poe’s harsh criticisms of Griswold’s work.

Poe didn’t find any financial success during his lifetime. His work is today America’s most popular gothic story. It presents great horror, mystery, and suspense. Many modern readers were moved by his stories of shock. He made great literary choices to let readers immerse themselves into his stories.

Works cited

Zappia, Susie. “Influence of Edgar Allan Poe on American Culture.” What Student Learn From Dissecting a Cow’s Eye | Education – Seattle PI, 21 Nov. 2017, education.seattlepi.com/influence-edgar-allan-poe-american-culture-5573.html.

“Edgar Allan Poe.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/edgar-allan-poe.

“Art for Art’s Sake.” Ohio River – New World Encyclopedia, New World Encyclopedia, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Art_for_art%27s_sake.

Garland, Tyler. “Login.” Teen Ink, 28 May 2008, www.teenink.com/nonfiction/all/article/48636/Edgar-Allan-Poe-and-His-Use-of-Literary-Devices/

The experts at Shmoop provide editorial services. “The Black Cat Analysis.” Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008, www.shmoop.com/black-cat-poe/literary-devices.html.

Author

  • makhiknapp

    Makhi is a 34 yo educational blogger who is passionate about writing and exploring new content ideas. She has a degree in English from the University of Utah and is currently working as a teacher in a public school in Utah. Makhi has been published in numerous online journals and has been featured on national television networks.

makhiknapp

makhiknapp

Makhi is a 34 yo educational blogger who is passionate about writing and exploring new content ideas. She has a degree in English from the University of Utah and is currently working as a teacher in a public school in Utah. Makhi has been published in numerous online journals and has been featured on national television networks.