Edgar Allan Poe- the Similarities Between Life and Poetry Essay Example
Poetry is the manner one would express very complex feelings or emotions. Many poets who connect with their audiences are able to describe, in writing, the emotion of a certain situation. These poems become autobiographical in the sense that the poem is drawn from the poets own situation and observations. Often, in classical poetry, a poet is able to capture the emotion of the situation so that the reader can make a connection. One of the greatest exponents of this was Edgar Allan Poe. He was able to captivate an audience and almost hypnotise them with his use of language and rhythm. However, his tragic life affected the themes behind his poems, which have been described as early gothic literature. His ‘weapon of choice,’ was the theme of lost love and loneliness. These themes are perhaps best reflected in his two most famous poems ‘The Raven’ and ‘Annabel Lee.’
Tragedy is the theme which governed most of Edgar Allan Poe’s life. Born in 1809, he was abandoned by his father before his mother died of tuberculosis when he was two years old. He was then raised, but never adopted, by Frances and John Allan. Poe had a normal, albeit strict, childhood up until the age of 17. Poe had become engaged to a woman, Elmira Royster, but the two lost touch when he attended university. She became engaged to another man as Poe was forced to drop out of university due to the fact that he had incurred a sizeable gambling debt.
The loss of his fiancé hurt Poe deeply. One of Poe’s early biographers, Arthur Hobson Quinn, described Poe’s relationships with women:
‘Poe seems to prize the spiritual love over the earthly, and in this fashion creates a stronger, and often more morbid bond between his characters, with the spiritual and sensual winning out over the sexual.’
Poe joined the military but was discharged to attend the funeral of his foster mother, Frances Allan in 1829. Poe was released from military duty in 1831 and went to live in Baltimore with his aunt and her children.
Tragedy is the theme which governed most of Edgar Allan Poe’s life. Born in 1809, he was abandoned by his father before his mother died of tuberculosis when he was two years old. He was then raised, but never adopted, by Frances and John Allan. Poe had a normal, albeit strict, childhood up until the age of 17. Poe had become engaged to a woman, Elmira Royster, but the two lost touch when he attended university. She became engaged to another man as Poe was forced to drop out of university due to the fact that he had incurred a sizeable gambling debt.
The loss of his fiancé hurt Poe deeply. One of Poe’s early biographers, Arthur Hobson Quinn, described Poe’s relationships with women:
‘Poe seems to prize the spiritual love over the earthly, and in this fashion creates a stronger, and often more morbid bond between his characters, with the spiritual and sensual winning out over the sexual.’
Poe joined the military but was discharged to attend the funeral of his foster mother, Frances Allan in 1829. Poe was released from military duty in 1831 and went to live in Baltimore with his aunt and her children.