Poe

Edgar Allan Poe, famed for his Gothic style of writing, has been considered one of the prime examples of American Romanticism. Poe was known to write very descriptive works of gloomy, suspenseful mysteries and horrors. He mostly focused on themes concerning the questioning of death, mourning, love, hope and despair, etc. The source of his works was clearly shown by the events throughout Poe’s tragic life.

After the death of his parents within three years of birth; Poe was then taken in by a wealthy merchant, who sent him to school. Unable to get over the debt, Poe dropped out after a year, leaving him broke and jobless. His caretaker left him with no money or source of survival, and Poe was already poverty stricken.  

 Poe went to New York City where he had some of his poetry and stories successfully published, got a job as a newspaper editor, but still struggled with making a living.  Eventually, he had reached his goal of writing his own magazine, only to be driven out of the city by invading rumors.

 At 27 years old, Poe married his 13 year old cousin; he celebrated his joy in poems. His wife died from tuberculosis shortly afterwards, leaving Poe devastated and unable to write. Poe’s life reached a mysterious end where he dies of unknown causes after he disappeared for a few days after taking the wrong train.  Poe died at 40 years old.

Poe’s writing reflected on his thoughts and views of the world, as the events of his life influenced his work; they were written throughout his career as he struggled to keep bread on the table. Edgar Allan Poe’s life was full of hardship and stress: he was raised by foster parents, did not have many close friends or family and the love of his life died within two years of marriage. It is because these past events which played a big role in writing, enabled Poe to provide the world such classic tales.

Poe’s writing has sent many chills down readers’ spines for many years, and hopefully many more years to come. His descriptions are spot on for the creepiness and suspense factor. Leaving the conclusion vague and open to interpretation leads the reader to many possibilities and explores their meanings. The mixture of love and horror gives an interesting viewpoint, fixated over the premature death of their loved ones. Surely, it is a given that Poe’s work is a timeless classic that should be cherished throughout the generations. It is no wonder Poe is considered the inventor of detective fiction genre as well as the game changer of science fiction.