Poe and Gothicism

Ms. Owens
Honors English II
15 May 2012

Portrayal of Gothicism in "The Sleeper" Gothicism is a subgenre of Romanticism that incorporates themes of supernaturalism and the darkness of human psychology. Edgar Allan Poe's "The Sleeper" is a mysterious poem that focuses on various elements of Gothicism. In the poem, the narrator observes a phantasmagorical valley with mist, a murky lake, and a cemetery. He is searching for the tomb where his lover, Irene, lies. The narrator discovers her grave and notices that she looks very different. He hopes that Irene sleeps peacefully and that her eternal rest is not interrupted by ghosts. All the narrator can do is come by Irene's grave and mourn until he can be with her again in the afterlife. Referring to Poe's biography, Edgar Allan Poe wrote such dark pieces of literature because he was neglected during his childhood: "Allan (Edgar's guardian) never adopted the boy [Poe], and never loved him, either" (Mabbott and Perkins). Also, many of his female loved ones have died of tuberculosis, inspiring Poe to write about women full of sorrow, which is one of the main ideas in "The Sleeper". Because of a "damsel in distress", supernaturalism, and dark setting, "The Sleeper" exhibits the characteristics of Gothicism thoroughly. Edgar Allan Poe was a very troubled child and grew up to be a disturbed man. He never had the childhood that everyone else did because his father paid absolutely no attention to him. Poe wrote very gloomy poems because of his childhood and lack thereof. Also, he had experience of death in his family way too many times. His parents died when he was only two years old, so he then lived with the Allans. Edgar's guardian had no love for him whatsoever and "Poe, for his part, took Allan's name but never wanted it" (Mabbott and Perkins). This lack of love and affection caused Poe to write about dark images and death because that was what he knew best. His horrible childhood attributed to that cause as well. As a young child, Poe befriends a classmate's mother until she died in 1824. Her death was another major inspiration to write such sorrowful poems. The biggest shock to Poe was when his wife, who was also his cousin, Virginia, "broke a blood vessel while singing. Her life was despaired of, and although she recovered somewhat, her health continued to be poor until her death from tuberculosis five years later" (Mabbott and Perkins). The only person he loved was taken away from him so quickly. The death of his wife has also caused him to write stories and poems about the loss of love and women in despair, which can clearly be seen in "The Sleeper." First, "The Sleeper" is considered to be a Gothic poem because there is a woman in distress and the narrator has lost his love. The narrator's lover, Irene, has passed away and he is mourning excessively. Since he cannot be with her, he can only visit her grave and hope that she has found peace in her tomb, where nothing will bother her. He loves her so much that "he prays to God that she may lie / Forever with unopened eye, / While the pale sheeted ghosts go by" (42-44). The narrator does not want ghostly figures to disturb her in her eternal rest. It is inferred that the narrator misses his lover and that he wants what is best. The idea of women in despair was used frequently in the Gothic literary time period because it brought on a sense of gloom. Such emotions were a major part of Gothic literature because most topics were depressing. According to literary critic Mary Ellen Snodgrass, "[domestic gothic] characterizes perils to females with scenes of separated lovers" (Snodgrass). Poe portrays Snodgrass' statement where the narrator is no longer with Irene. "The Sleeper" contains this characteristic because Poe himself lost his wife. In many of his poems, he includes autobiographical information. During this time, many Gothic and Dark Romantic writers and poets were very interested in death and the loss of their loved ones, especially women. Additionally, "The Sleeper" exhibits Gothicism through supernaturalism. In the poem, "the lady's chamber is filled with the 'bodiless airs' (or spirits) that flit in and out in their 'wizard rout'" (Huff). Huff's statement is proven in the first stanza: "The bodiless airs, a wizard rout, / Flit through thy chamber in and out" (22-23). The use of ghosts adds a sense of fear and eeriness because ghosts are usually seen as unearthly figures. Supernaturalism is seen in the poem again where, "like ghosts, the shadows rise and fall on floor and wall, and suddenly the speaker sees a phantom 'lady dear'" (Huff), so that means the narrator sees Irene's spirit. "Gothic stories-- supernatural tales … had been popular for decades" (Mabbott and Perkins) because it attracted many people. This was a new kind of genre that was introduced in the 18th century and was surprisingly liked by many people. Futhermore, "The Sleeper" expresses Gothicism thoroughly due to the use of dark setting. In the beginning of the poem, Poe describes the setting as desolated: At midnight, in the month of June, I stand beneath the mystic moon. An opiate vapor, dewy, dim, Exhales from out her golden rim (1-4).
The setting is very bleak, remote, and isolated and is considered Gothic because dark settings bring on a feeling of mystery and trepidation. Pieces of Gothic literature are known to leave the readers with a sense of terror because of the vivid descriptions. The settings in the poem have "gloom, chill, mystery, dread, disturbing strangeness, and unexplored recesses of sorrow" (Allen). Cemeteries are frequently used locations in Poe's works because "the emotions of sad longing and regret tinge much of gothic and romantic literature, particularly the willful moodiness of the graveyard poets, who chose shadowed cemeteries and doleful grieving as their focus" (Huff). Overall, Edgar Allan Poe has experienced death of his loved ones, so his emotions are reflected through his choice of setting: a dark, isolated area that arouses the sense of fear and dreariness. In conclusion, "The Sleeper" is seen as a Gothic poem because it consists of a distressed female figure, specters, and a melancholy setting. Unfortunately, Poe has witnessed many deaths of his loved ones throughout his lifetime, mainly his childhood. These deaths have inspired him to write about what he was an expert at: loss of love. Many issues in his life have been shown in his poems such as death and neglect. Overall, Edgar Allen Poe is known to be one of the best Gothic writers and poets of all time and his works are still well-known to this day.