Edgar Allan Poe

1. Edgar Allan Poe By: David Parsons

2. Biography He was a quiet, shy-looking but handsome man; slightly built, five feet, eight inches in height. With a mouth that was considered beautiful by many. His eyes, with long dark lashes, were hazel-gray. Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809 in Boston, where his parents Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe Jr. had been employed as actors. Poe’s childhood was a stressful one with his mother and father passing away before he was even two years old. Poe never knew his mother or father, or even his brother and sister only his adopted father John Allan. Poe was brought up partly in England (1815-20), where he attended Manor School at Stoke Newington. This can give some in sight to why he used England and France in many of his poems. Poe attended the University of Virginia, but depending upon which source, Poe was either expelled for not paying his gambling debts. Or he passed his courses with good grades at the end of the session in December. Mr. Allan failed to give him enough money for necessary expenses, and Poe made debts of which his so-called father did not approve. Mr. Allan then refused to let him return to University. Poe became estranged from his adopted father over the disagreement in his debts. Poe disparate for money Poe enlisted in The United States Army as a private using the name Edgar A. Perry. In this time Poe published a little volume of poetry, Tamerlane and Other Poems. Which Poe published at his expense, and it sold poorly. It has become one of the rarest volumes in American literary history. It is such a rare book now that a single copy has sold for $200,000.00. After two years of service, during which he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant-major, he was discharged. Poe published his second book Al Aaraf, has one of two things that his adopted mother wished he did before she died the other was to reconciled with his foster father, who coordinated an appointment for him to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Westpoint was no for Poe, he did not enjoy all of the do this, do that routine. So Poe wishing to leave West Point deliberately disobeyed orders and was dismissed. After that, his adoptive father repudiated him until his death in March 27, 1843. Poe having no money and no valide skills besides his pen needed a place to leave. He moved to Baltimore, Maryland with his widowed aunt, Maria Clemm, and her daughter, Virginia. Now for someone that was a genious with the written word he did something that only inbread hecks would do which is to marry his thirteen-year-old cousin, Virginia. Poe did love her though as can be noticed later is his life.

3. Biography(Cont.) Poe and his new wife jorneyed to New York were they spent 15 hard and fruitless months. Poe seeing that New York did not have what he needed, he and Virginia moved to Philadelphia. In the summer of 1839, he became assistant editor of Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. He still continued to publish a large number of articles, stories, and reviews, for the magazine and enhancing his reputation as a writer and critic. In 1839, the collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque was published in two volumes. Though not a financial success, it was a milestone in the history of American literature. Poe left Burton's after about a year and found a position as assistant editor at Graham's Magazine. Now as I said earlier Poe did love Virginia as is obvious in the months before her death from tuberculosis. Poe began to drink more heavily under the stress of Virginia's illness. He left Graham's Magazine. He returned to New York, where he worked briefly at the Evening Mirror before becoming editor of the Broadway Journal. As editor Poe invoked a feud between himself and another great writter Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This feud was very noisy and in the spotlight of the public, but like all things it died down very quickly, and on January 29, 1845, his poem "The Raven" appeared in the Evening Mirror and became a popular sensation. However like most things in Poe’s life they don’t last very long and in 1846 the Broadway Journal failed. Poe moved to his cottage in the Bronx which would become the resting place of his wife Virginia. She died on January 30, 1847. Poe became increasingly unstable by her death. He even attempted suicide during this period by overdosing on laudanum. It seemed like everything Poe did after her death his heart wasn’t in. In the poem “Annabel Lee” Poe explains how the two will be together again, and to me when I read it their were many similarities to the way Poe and Virginias’ love was. Poe did not live long after Virginia’s death, and on October 7, 1849 Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore, delirious and "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance," according to the man who found him. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he later died in the early morning of the same day. Some sources say Poe's final words were "It's all over now; write Eddy is no more." (referring to his tombstone). Others say his last words were "Lord, help my poor soul." I believe that the second is more likely based on what I have read about the way he was living.

4. Intellectually/Aesthetically Appealing Poe used many meanings and symbols in his poetry which I did not realize while reading his poetry. Most noticeable was the symbols in the “The Raven.” In this poem, Poe used a raven often considered a bird of ill-omen, however the raven decide to perch on the statue of Pallas. Pallas being a goddess of wisdom offered the idea that the raven might be a bringer of wisdom instead of evil. Also the setting of the poem brings around an ending, and the anticipation of something new. With the setting being midnight of a December day both meaning ending, it could possibly be the start of a new beginning. “The Raven” also has a nice flow to it much the same as many of his poems do, and almost sound beautiful to say even though the meaning of the poems are often not so pleasant. Many people even agree that Poe was insane, however I believe that he was simply just a depressed alcoholic, who throughout his life had suffered many tragedies , which influenced his writing greatly. “Annabel Lee” is by far the poem that I appreciate the most of all of Poe’s poems that I have read so far, because unlike many of his other poems and short stories the ending is that of a cheerful one, where the narrator believes that he will be reunited with his love, which is not so in “The Raven,” in that poem which has the same theme “Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore.“” in which the narrator believes that he will never again be with his love again. “But our love it was stronger by far than the loveOf those who were older than we--Of many far wiser than we-And neither the angels in Heaven above,Nor the demons down under the sea,Can ever dissever my soul from the soulOf the beautiful Annabel Lee:--” “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary” To me that one phases just rolls off the tongue, even though the theme of the poem is depressing, it is a delight to say.

5. Poem of Imitation Imitation of A Dream Within a Dream (2005) Take this key into your heart! And, in knowing from you now, Thus much I tell you - You are not flawed, who deem; That my eyes have not been a dream; Yet if my fantasy has flown away In a week, or in a month, In waking, or in death, Is love less grieve? All that we feel or felt Is but a vision within a dream. I kneel before the roar Of the wary-tormented mind, And I conceal within myself Wings of the caterpillar How few! Yet how they fly Through my mind into the sky, While I imagine – while I imagine! O God! Can I not be stout With her about? O God! Can I not show Myself when all else glows? Is all that we feel or felt But a vision within a dream? A Dream Within a Dream (1827) Take this kiss upon the brow!And, in parting from you now,Thus much let me avow—You are not wrong, who deemThat my days have been a dream;Yet if hope has flown awayIn a night, or in a day,In a vision, or in none,Is it therefore the less gone?All that we see or seemIs but a dream within a dream. I stand amid the roarOf a surf-tormented shore,And I hold within my handGrains of the golden sand—How few! yet how they creepThrough my fingers to the deep,While I weep—while I weep!O God! can I not graspThem with a tighter clasp?O God! can I not saveOne from the pitiless wave?Is all that we see or seemBut a dream within a dream? I feel that this poem imitates the original in a couple of ways it. It has the same basic idea and theme. It also uses the same format. However the rhyme scheme I could not get. I basically did the same process that you described to me about the Frogs center while I had the writing conference.

6. References Frank, F.S.,& Magistrale A.(1997) The poe encyclopedia. London. Greenwood Press. Nilsson, P.(1997) The poe decoder. Kista, Sweden. Retrieved December 8, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.poedecoder.com/essays/raven/ Wilson, J.S. Poe’s life. Richmond, Virginia. Retrieved December 8, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.poemuseum.org/poes_life/index.html Liukkonen, P. (2003) Edgar allan poe. Finland. Retrieved December 8, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/eapoe.htm Regan, R. (2001) Poe, edgar allan {poh}. USA . Retrieved December 8, 2005 from the World Wide Webhttp://bau2.uibk.ac.at/sg/poe/Bio.html