...Poe’s Grim and Dreary Style Many writers express how they feel by the way they write and how they see the world around them. Edgar Allan Poe is no exception to the rule. During the early years of Edgar Allan Poe, his father abandoned him, his mother, and two siblings (Marshall 42). At a young age, he witness his own mother cough up blood and die slowly due to tuberculosis (Marshall 42). He was later adopted in 1811 by a couple who did not even want him (Marshall 42). Some would say his talent was molded from the tragic events throughout his life, which lead him to write. Poe was an American poet and writer whose work still lingers in many individuals’ imaginations. He was very somber in many of his poems and when writing. Throughout his life,...
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...he was put up for adoption and unfortunately this caused him to lose who he truly was, he lacked self-identity. When his foster mother grew seriously ill Poe was forced to switch from school to school where he was often bullied for his inability to fit in. “But he was not accepted as an equal; he was taunted about being the son of actors and about his unconventional position in the Allan household” (“Edgar Allan Poe” Concise 3 ). Despite the fact that school is a place for learning rather than inappropriate and cruel...
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...Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer and poet, known mostly for his stories containing dark imagery, and involving mystery and horror, and also for his troubled life. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a film, directed by Henry Selick and produced by the famed Tim Burton, that follows Jack Skellington, the "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town, who has grown weary of doing the same things to celebrate Halloween every year. When stumbling upon a door leading to Christmas Town, Jack decides to celebrate his own Christmas holiday, but with eventual and terrible consequences. Now, even though Poe and The Nightmare Before Christmas have more than 100 years separating them, one can still see several similarities between what Poe had written and what...
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...Poe’s Dark Appeal There are few writers as adept at invoking feelings and images of darkness, dread, and depression in a reader as successfully as Edgar Allan Poe. Born in Boston in 1809 to impoverished actors David and Elizabeth Poe (Allen), Edgar’s entire existence seems to have been destined for struggle and loss. He was orphaned by age three, losing his mother to tuberculosis and his father by desertion (Allen). He was taken in by the Allan family, but during Edgar’s year-long stint at West Point in 1830—and subsequent expulsion—his relationship with his foster father suffered irreparable damage (“Biography”). His life soon became a mélange of depression, alcoholism, unemployment, and financial hardship (“Biography”). He died in 1949 while on a trip to Baltimore, under mysterious circumstances: theories of “congestion of the brain,” alcoholism, rabies, epilepsy, and carbon monoxide poisoning continue to swarm today (“Biography”). Having lived a life of constant struggle and turmoil, it is not surprising that his works are imbued with brooding and despondency, and that the common themes in his writings revolve around derangement and death. His short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” provides a perfect example of his fixation with madness, murder, and melancholy. It is this very fascination with all things grotesque, combined with his uncanny ability to weave multiple literary elements together to create a bizarre tapestry that appeals to readers, and what makes Edgar Allan Poe...
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...Hannah Mason Olsen WR100 Insanity in Literature 11 February 2015 “The Presence of a Motive in ‘The Cask of Amontillado’” In many countries, the highest offense one can commit is insulting the family of another, as family is a strong source of history and pride. Conflicts between families have fueled many a feud or violent campaign, and insult is never left to injury; action must be taken. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado,” the narrator, Montresor, does not appear explicitly insane, as many would argue, but rather to be acting on a motive against his victim, Fortunato. This premeditated intent to take revenge can be seen in Fortunato’s consistent disrespect for Montresor’s family, Montresor’s lack of guilt, which is exhibited during the act and also in the final phrase of the story, and finally through Poe’s method of singular effect. Montresor’s extreme distaste for Fortunato is immediately evident. He opens his murderous, half a century year old tale...
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...The Dark Side of Poe Edgar Allen Poe took romanticism to the next level by inadvertently helping to create Dark (Gothic) Romanticism. Poe was not a big writer in America because people in America did not appreciate his writings at that time, but in France he was one of the biggest writers. “Even though many contemporaries in America did not appreciate his work, Poe was hailed as a genius in circles of French intellectuals” (Grieneisen 22). Dark Romanticism helped people let go of the things that were bottled up on the inside. Poe’s interest into the dark side of writing probably came about to try and intrigue Americans to get behind him and his writings. The creation of monsters, vampires, werewolves, etc. was a way for writers and readers to let out their inner “demons.” Romanticism is based on emotion, nature, and the human psyche among other things. Romanticism came at a time where people needed an outlet for additional forms of entertainment. Before romanticism most writings were based off of things people believed whole heartedly in or everyday life. There were the normal forms of entertainment, i.e. music, art, and plays, but nothing that a person could truly make their own. With romanticism people could use their imagination to evoke their emotions and become connected with the work. Edgar Allen Poe used emotion, imagery, and medicine to explore the dark side of Romanticism. Poe dealt with a lot from the beginning of his life. At the age of one his father disappears...
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...Cornelius Hughes Dr. Montgomery LibA 102 October 13, 2009 Poe’s Use of Irony in His Short Stories Gargano says that “Poe intends his readers to keep their powers of analysis and judgment ever alert;…” (178). Poe is not your average type of literary figure. He often uses personification, metaphors, and symbols in order to give hints at details that would otherwise be unknown. These type of tactics help to keep the readers on their toes, otherwise they would be subject to misinterpreting what they read. In particular, Poe was a profound user of irony in his short stories. Poe used irony to depict the errors in his characters’ ways of thinking and their actions. Stories such as “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, and “The Masque of the Red Death” are all short stories that convey this notion. It is my intention to, based on the evidence found and presented, to prove this point. Let us first look at how Poe’s use of irony proves this point in “The Cask of Amontillado.” . The setting of the events is an “evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season” (Poe, “Cask” 426). This setting alone is symbolic for in this time during a carnival, people dressed themselves in costumes, becoming for a short time something other than their normal selves. Both Fortunato and Montresor are outfitted. Fortunato is wearing “a tight-fitted parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (426). In short, his attire was much...
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...翁良權 98121232 Introduction to English Literature, Wed 34 Professor:馬健君 Paper1: Essay for the Tell-Tale Heart(題目太籠統，不要學) Oct, 21, 2009 Essay for the Tell-Tale Heart(題目太籠統，不要學) This story is described from the murderer. He talks about the process how he killed the old man. The name of The Tell-Tale Heart gives the hint for what will happen next and the heart will do something startled. Using the name can make reader interested in knowing what the story will go. In the beginning, the murderer doesn’t think he has committed the crime. And he tries to convince reader to believe what he did is right. In the story, the author describes what the murderer feels in the whole story. His mood goes from excitement to confidence to guilt and to breaking down at length. The author uses precise sentences to describe those moods for example:“Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust head in.”,“I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph.”means the murderer at that time was really exciting;“I smiled,--for what had I to fear?”, “While I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim. ”means the murderer was confident to what he did without any mistakes; “No doubt I now grew very pale; but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice.”,“I talked more quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily increased.”means the murderer was guilty;“I felt that I must scream or die...
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...Natalie Reynolds English 1102 section 97 Mandi Sena January 22, 2014 Techniques Gothic Literature, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. The Gothic literature feel is achieved through manipulating literature elements to portray the story or poem how the writer/speaker wants. There are ten main elements that can be manipulated; the setting, the environment, atmosphere, protagonists, emotions, damsels in distress, foreboding, the supernatural, decay of characters, and finally, drama. When writing gothic literature one must use their personal techniques in manipulating the elements to achieve the gothic qualities desired; William Faulkner, Edgar Allan Poe, and Sylvia Plath all use different techniques in their writing and this is what gives each of their pieces of literature a different feel. For example in William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily he uses techniques unique to himself. Such as, writing the story in an alternating kind of way to help the readers to carry the action forward in their own minds by suggesting doubt in the story line, this allows us to be surprised at the end when we find out what really happens. This back and forth style of writing is prominent throughout the whole story, but the biggest example is that Emily starts out dead and then the writer proceeds to continue the rest of the story from back when she was alive. His story also has a creepy setting where anything can...
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...Examine some of the ways Gothic horror is presented in Frankenstein showing how your understanding of Mary Shelley’s techniques has been illuminated by your reading of Poe’s short stories Firstly, Shelley uses the setting of her novel in order to create an unsettling atmosphere in various chapters. Factors such as time, weather and architecture all play an important role in bringing horror to life in both Frankenstein and Poe’s short stories. Mary Shelley aligns Victor with the Romantic Movement, which emphasised a turn to nature for experiences like hope and happiness. The natural world has notable effects on Victor’s mood. He is moved and happy in the presence of the scenic beauty of Switzerland. In return this also reminds Victor of his guilt, shame and regret. “The rain depressed me; my old feelings recurred, and I was miserable”. This enables the weather to foreshadow Victor’s emotions throughout the novel. The theme of nature also reappears in the monster’s narrative. Whereas Victor seeks the high cold hard world of the Alps for comfort, as if to freeze his guilt, the monster finds solace in the soft colours of a spring time forest. This symbolises his desire to reveal himself to the world and interact with others. The architecture of the early nineteenth century was typically gothic and of a medieval revival style. It is this gloomy and frightening scenery, which sets the scene for what the audience should expect. Likewise, Poe uses the setting to convey...
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...“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe is a prime example of American gothic literature. Poe is known for his great gothic works and “The Fall of the House of Usher is no exception. Poe’s work retells an unnamed narrator’s experience inside the House of Usher when he goes to visit his sick friend, Roderick Usher. “The Fall of the House of Usher” excellently shows the gothic elements of sin and guilt, mysterious/violent events, and madness and death. Along with Roderick there is another Usher, Madeline, in the house of Usher through which Poe conveys sin and guilt. Soon after we are introduced to the character of Madeline she dies and is buried in the basement in the House of Usher. At the end it is revealed that Madeline was alive the whole time and Roderick says: I now tell you that I heard her first feeble movements in the hollow coffin. I heard them – many, many, days ago – yet I dared not – I dared not speak!... Is she not hurrying to upbraid me for my...
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...When you hear the name Edgar Allan Poe you automatically think of a dreary, scary story. This is not all Poe is known for. Poe has written love stories in his time such as Annabel Lee and the poem “For Annie.” Poe lived a poor lifestyle because writers did not make a great deal of money during his lifetime. Despite the fact that he was poor, Poe still managed to have a fulfilling love life. His foster family did not approved of him because he did not follow the family trade. Instead, he used women to satisfy his desire to be accepted. After Poe died a rivalry of his gave him a bad reputation which in the end only helped Poe’s work become much more famous. This enemy of Poe’s deemed him a drunk womanizer, which you will see is not true, and is only in retaliation because Poe’s harshly criticized this man’s work. Poe lived in the Romantic Era, thus inspiring the theme of many of his works. Romanticism was a movement in the late 18th century of the arts and literature. It was the theory, practice and style of romantic art, literature, and music. The Romantic Movement was based on moving away from the classical style...
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...Romantic literature is such that an author writes in an attempt to convey his feelings on what the world should be like. It is unrealistic, unreasoning, and imaginative writing. William Cullen Bryant and Edgar Allen Poe are two examples of romantic writers. Though Poe fits the mold of a romantic writer it is obvious that his writings do not mirror those of Bryant or many other known romantic authors. His works share a uniqueness that is not found amongst the other writers, it is this uniqueness that separates Poe’s works from the rest. Bryant’s poem “Thanatopsis” is a good example of romantic literature. This work compared to Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” will show that characteristics of Poe’s work that, both, make him a romantic writer and separate him from other romantic writers. “Thanatopsis”, by William Cullen Bryant, is a very romantic poem about the relationship between man and nature. Bryant’s purpose for this poem is to spread his belief that at the last hours of life man is joined with the Earth and when that last hour is over man will join all those who have passed before him. From the first two lines of the poem it is obvious that this poem is romantic in nature. “To him who in the love of Nature holds – Communion with her visible forms,” (470). Bryant personifies nature in this poem by referring to it as a “she”. He does this to establish a common thread between the reader and Earth. It is easier for someone, reading Bryant’s work, to begin believing his ideas...
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...Jonathon Criswell Essay 1 Assignment 3/14/2016 Foreshadowing Fortunato’s Fate in Cask of Amontillado Edgar Allan Poe introduces the readers with an unpleasant tale of revenge in The Cask of Amontillado. It is revealed by Montresor who confesses to the murder of his old friend Fortunato over fifty years ago. Montresor led Fortunato to the catacombs where he was entombed. Fortunato, is led into the catacomb to his impending death with the assurance of a magnificent sherry, amontillado. As Montresor pilots Fortunato deeper into the catacombs, Poe foreshadows the impending murder. The word cask in Cask of Amontillado, is an abbreviation for the term casket. Fortunato is being led to his casket or final resting place in the catacombs. Elena Baraban, of “The Motive for Murder in “the Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe”, believes that “the whole imagery of the crypt suggests that the word “Amontillado” is a metaphor” (55). This is symbolic of the way Fortunato is killed. The title could easily have read “The Grave of Fortunato.” Special importance is placed on Carnival in the story. Montresor saved his revenge until the Carnival celebration began, because it would be an excellent time to carry out his plan of revenge “during the supreme madness of the carnival season,” (Poe 227). Nothing is as it seems during the Carnival. People pretend to be something that they wish they could be. Carnival is an escape for the people. Many things happen at...
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...Edgar Allan Poe is known as the master of horror and gothic writing. In a sense, he has taken the meaning of the word “horror” and turned it into an entirely different definition, even a different world. Poe's narrators do not make the reader scared, per se, but they make him or her inquire about things around them. Although people should never assume, they should always speculate and investigate. In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Poe uses an imperfectly informed narrator because he wanted the reader to play with – and question – reality, to use their senses and imagination, and be able to tell the difference between dreams and reality. One theory on why Poe makes his narrator limited is that he wants the reader to search for the truth, not just have it handed to them. For instance, the reader – nor the narrator – knows anything about Roderick Usher. The narrator says, “Although, as boys, we had been even intimate associates, yet I really knew little of my friend”. What, then, would cause the narrator to travel to the House of Usher after Roderick had written him a letter? A person such as the narrator can only truly call Usher an acquaintance. In reality, who would drop everything and anything for an associate? The unknown information on Roderick Usher only causes more questions that, in the end, still remain unanswered. Little by little, as the tale goes on, the reader, as well as the narrator, discovers that Roderick and his late sister, lady Madeline, are twins. After...
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