Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential writers in the history of Western literature, whose work has largely defined the genre of American Gothic. His compelling, often disturbing writing incorporates several Romantic attitudes, as well as the idea of the sublime. The concept of the sublime, that being a term for whatever excites the ideas of pain and danger, is widely present in his fiction. Sublime’s exploration of the darkest sides of the human soul and psyche has contributed greatly to the development of the horror genre. Poe’s depiction of some of the major ideas of Romanticism is another noticeable feature of his writing. Subjectivity and emphasis on individualism, romanticized solitude put in the spotlight, and the belief that imagination is superior to reason are some of the Romantic ideas represented in Poe’s characters.
Life Overview
Edgar Allan Poe is an American poet, prosaist, and literary critic. Born into a Boston family of actors at the beginning of the 19th century, he became an orphan at a young age and was taken in by a successful merchant household. Throughout his life, Poe went through the conflict with his adoptive father, military service, his brother’s death, and a long period of financial struggle. Despite ending up becoming one of the genre-defining writers for horror and gothic literature, Poe was forced to beg for monetary assistance throughout his life. His writing career coincided with a difficult period in the American publishing industry that, at the time, was regularly undercompensating its authors (Safner 15). The writer’s life and work alike were impacted by his depression and other mental illnesses that aided him in the detailed depiction of disruptive, maladaptive thoughts (Dean and Boyd 490). Poe’s death was mysterious and rather painful: on October 7th, 1849, he passed away after a prolonged delirium fit, fearing whatever awaited him in the afterlife.
Work and the Four Genres
The four genres Poe has worked in are science fiction, horror fiction, adventure fiction, and detective fiction: a form of literature he is frequently credited with inventing. His horror fiction works are characterized by the wide usage of the sublime, as mentioned above. They frequently incorporate such themes as mental disorders, body horror, and unexpected, uncontrolled violence or fear (Dean and Boyd, 483). His works in science fiction and adventure fiction generally tended to appease the mass market, as much of the writer’s career was dedicated to commercial writing. The detective genre, however, presents an interesting case, as Poe’s short story The Murders in The Rue Morgue is believed to be the first of its kind. Its narrative focuses on the investigation of the brutal murder of the two women, whose case presents a seemingly unsolvable mystery. The story’s protagonist, an amateur detective, finds a murderer – a giant ape – while the police forces are helpless: a plot device that later becomes emblematic for the genre.
Introspective Narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart”
The Tell-Tale Heart is the story of a man who decides to confess his crimes after committing a murder due to being tormented by his own internal guilt. It is a clear example of the illustrative narrator in fiction, who is defined by the story’s exploration of the protagonist’s feelings and thoughts. The narrator fits the definition perfectly, being so in touch with his consciousness that it does not allow him to forget about what he has done for even a minute. The protagonist is intentionally left nameless to highlight his insanity and distance him from the common patterns of thinking (Amir 596). Even the reasoning behind the murder is deeply troubling and odd, having nothing to do with more understandable motives like greed or revenge. Instead, the narrator cannot distract himself from the “evil eye” of his victim, with whom he has no other quarrels. The feelings of paranoia and fear of the “eye” consume the narrator, compelling him to murder a helpless old man. The exploration of the protagonist’s unhealthy internal world is then conducted in the rest of the short story. Feeling guilty and scared, he further descends into the nightmare of insanity, hearing deranged sounds that the others are unaware of.
Poe’s Legacy to Literature
Poe’s legacy to literature in America and worldwide is undeniable: one of the most recognizable Gothic writers, a clear example of a romanticist and an inventor of the entire genre. His fascination with death, torture, and the dark side of the human soul, in general, grant his writing a truly unique place in the literary canon. Edgar Poe is the most known, arguably, for being willing to revel in the dark and the horrifying, and thus many of his works were considered shocking at the time. His rich gothic imagery captures attention and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, compelling them to keep reading no matter how disturbing the story gets. Furthermore, his constant financial struggle and the internal conflict between preferred themes and the need to write for money might resonate significantly with the writers of today.
References
Amir, Shamaila, “Analysis of the Short Story ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe”.The Creative Launcher, vol. 2, no. 3, 2020. Web.
Dean, Hannah J., and Ryan L. Boyd. “Deep Into That Darkness Peering: A Computational Analysis Of The Role Of Depression In Edgar Allan Poe’s Life And Death”. Journal Of Affective Disorders, vol. 266, 2020, pp. 482-491. Elsevier BV. Web.
Safner, Ryan, “Honor Among Thieves: How 19th Century American Pirate Publishers Simulated Copyright Protection”, 2021. Web.