Edgar Allan Poe

1. Edgar Allan Poe 1809-1849

2. 1809 Poe born on January 19 in Boston, Massachusetts. Parents were traveling actors. Mom died when Poe was 2 and dad ran off. Taken in by a wealthy Scottish tobacco exporter, John Allan, from whom Poe took his middle name. 1820 Poe moved with the Allans to Richmond, Virginia This plaque marks the approximate location where Edgar Poe was born in Boston.

3. 1826He entered University of Virginia to study languages Poe ran up gambling debts which John refused to pay. 1827 Poe left U.V. And traveled to Boston sustaining himself with odd jobs as a clerk and newspaper writer. Unable to support himself, Poe enlisted in the U.S. Army That same year, he released his first book, a 40-page collection of poetry, Tamerlane and Other Poems.

4. An original copy of this book is rare and worth over $200,000.

5. 1829Unhappy with the army life, his father arranged a dismissal from the army and an appointment to West Point Military Academy. He published his 2nd book, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems, \

6. Poe was discharged from West Point and left for New York in February , and then released a third volume of poems, simply titled Poems. • He returned to Baltimore and moved in with his Aunt Clemm and her daughter, Virginia.

7. Poe supported himself by working as an editor at various literary magazines 1835 Poe married his 13 year old cousin, Virginia In the following years, Poe completed his only full-length novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym published in 1838

8. 1838- Poe and Virginia moved to Philadelphia Poe worked as an editor at various magazines, But his drinking problems got him fired. 1840- Poe published Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque.

9. 1841- wrote Murders in the Rue Morgue- credited with being the first detective story. • The Ravenappeared in the Evening Mirror and made Poe a household name • Published: Tales by EAP 1847- Virginia dies of TB at the age of 24

10. After Virginia’s death, Poe became more unstable On October 3, 1849, Poe, delirious, soaking wet and wearing someone else’s cheap clothes, was found on the streets of Baltimore after being missing for a week. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849

11. Masters of Horror • Stephen King is often compared to the 18th century weaver of horror tales, Edgar Allan Poe http://home.tiscalinet.de/stephen-king/assets/images/sehr_schones_bild_von_king.jpg http://opioids.com/opium/poe.jpg

12. Gothic Elements • Supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terror pervades the action • High emotion, sentimentalism, but also pronounced anger, surprise, and especially terror • Use of words indicating fear, mystery, etc.: apparition, devil, ghost, haunted, terror, fright, fainting

13. Poe’s influences: Master of Psychological Thrillers • Tales of the ghastly and grotesque are told by distraught narrators and include deranged heroes and doomed heroines • Poe’s goal was to take us behind the curtain that separates the rational world and discover the dark, irrational depths of the human mind

14. Poe’s influences: Father of the detective genre • Poe’s stories,” the Gold Bug,” “The Purloined Letter,” and “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” are built around a detective named C AugusteDupin. • This character inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes

15. Poe’s influences: Father of the modern science fiction story • Added realistic scientific details to make his stories more believable. • In “The Facts in the Case of M. Vademar” a doctor is able to communicate with a man whose body has already died. The tale was so realistic that it was reprinted in the a medical journal in England. • He once reported that someone had crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a balloon. New Yorkers rushed to buy the paper, only later discovering it was a hoax. • story is now called The Balloon Hoax

16. Poe’s influences: America’s first great literary critic • Poe attacked authors he considered guilty of imitation and wouldn’t hesitate to accuse an author of plagiarism if their work closely resembled another’s. • He often targeted Henry Wadsworth Longfellow • He also targeted magazine or authors that praised a story because of the author or because the subject was American. Such as James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans • He offended many but praised those he felt deserving such as Charles Dickens and Nathanial Hawthorne. • He admired the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning so much that he dedicated a book to her.

17. Virginia's death had a significant impact on Poe Many of Poe's works are interpreted autobiographically, with much of his work believed to reflect Virginia's long struggle with tuberculosis and her eventual death. The most discussed example is "Annabel Lee". This poem, which depicts a dead young bride and her mourning lover A similar poem, "Ulalume", is also believed to be a memorial tribute to Virginia, as is "Lenore", whose title character is described as "the most lovely dead that ever died so young!" Virginia Poe endured the latter part of her illness at the Poe Cottage in the Bronx, New York. Her bedroom is preserved there.

18. Why is Poe included in the Romantic Period of literature? • The dark romantics included Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville. • Romantics valued intuition over logic and reason and saw signs & symbols in all events. • The dark romantics explored the dark side and the irrational. • Exploring the conflict between good and evil • The psychological effects of sin and guilt • Madness in the human psyche • The blankness and horror of evil

19. Literary theory Poe's writing reflects his literary theories, which he presented in his criticisms and also in essays such as The Poetic Principle. He disliked didacticism and allegory, though he believed that meaning in literature should be an undercurrent just beneath the surface. “Works with obvious meanings,” he wrote, “cease to be art.” He believed that quality work should be brief and focus on a specific single effect. To that end, he believed that the writer should carefully calculate every sentiment and idea. In "The Philosophy of Composition", an essay in which Poe describes his method in writing The Raven, he claims to have strictly followed this method.

20. Poe Toaster Every January 19, Poe’s birthday, in the early hours of the morning, the man makes a toast of cognac to Poe's original grave marker and leaves three roses Adding mystery surrounding Poe's death, an unknown visitor referred to as the "Poe Toaster" has paid homage to Poe's grave every year since 1949 Likely that the "Poe Toaster" is actually several individuals

21. Legacy • Literary influence • The inventor of the detective story • The father of the modern American short story • The architect who helped the world discover science fiction as a literary genre • A skillful poet • An important literary critic who helped define American literature, film, and other arts