Essay about The Genius that Was Edgar Allan Poe - 1799 Words

Throughout history, there have been genius minds that have changed our lives, whether we know it or not. These masterminds, such as Isaac Newton, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Albert Einstein, have all contributed to society with their vast knowledge on different subjects. Some genius minds are not recognized for their effect on society until well after their lives have ended. One of the individuals in particular goes by the name of Edgar Allan Poe. Most people when asked what they know of the man conjure up images of horror and darkness that they have learned to associate with the man. Many thought of him as a tortured alcoholic and drug addict, but so much more is to be said of the man who single handedly created so much literary success,†¦show more content†¦He lost the adolescent love of his life with the death of Mrs. Jane Stannard, a mother of one of his friends from school, to brain cancer. Then his foster mother, Frances, was taken ill with consumption, causing a rift betwe en John and Edgar. John had begun having affairs with other women and Edgar did not approve, so he was sent away to the University of Virginia. At the time of admittance he was engaged to Sarah Elmira Royster, who by the time he got out was married to another man. Though he had no money and little to show for himself, he captivated his classmates with his art and his stories. He fell into financial straits and, with no help from his foster father, he began to gamble and fell into debt. After one year there he left and joined the Army with the assumed name of Edgar A. Perry where he excelled as a soldier. On February 28th, 1829, Frances Allan died, marking the third key female figure in his life to die, the second to consumption. After being orphaned by two mothers and rejected by two fathers, Edgar was in search of a place he could call home. He moved to Baltimore to live with his aunt Maria Clemm and her daughter Virginia. He had spent half his life searching for a stable home and it had seemed as though he had gotten it finally. Though he spent a majority of the rest of his days in poverty, Poe tried his hand at many different literary fields. He had already published two books of poetry and had countless stories published. In 1835, heShow MoreRelatedThe Influence of Edgar Allan Poes Life on His Morbid Writings591 Words   |  3 PagesEdgar Allan Poe is the most morbid of all American authors. Poe made his impact in Gothic fiction, especially for the tales of the macabre of which he is so renowned for. â€Å"How can so strange so fine a genius so sad a life, be exprest [sic] comprest in on line — would it not be best to say of Poe in a reverential spirit simply Requiescat in Pace [?]† — (Alfred Lord Tennyson’s reply to the Poe Memorial committee, February 18, 1876). Poe’s own life story sheds light on the darkness of his writingsRead More Death in Edgar Allan Poes Life and The Masque of the Red Death1468 Words   |  6 PagesDeath in Edgar Allan Poes Life and The Masq ue of the Red Death As a man surrounded by death and horrible happenings, it is no wonder that almost the entire collection of Edgar Allan Poes works is about death. When Poe was very young, his father left his mother alone with three young children. At the age of two, Poe lost his mother. Many other deaths and terrible occurrences manifested themselves in Poes life, from the refusal of his adoptive father, John Allan, to acceptRead MoreLife Darker Than Night By Edgar Allan Poe961 Words   |  4 Pagescreator of short stories, Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. According to Charles E. May, a literary scholar, who specializes in the study of the short story, â€Å"Poe is very important in the history of American culture †¦ , he developed short fictions as a genre that was to have a major impact on American literature†¦ in nineteenth century† (May 5). Despite the huge amount short stories written and sold, Poe unsuccessfully tried to fix his financial situation. Poe s life experiencesRead MoreThe Great Writer And Creator Of Short Stories By Edgar Allan Poe963 Words   |  4 Pagescreator of short stories, Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. According to Charles E. May, a literary scholar, who specializes in the study of the short story, â€Å"Poe is very important in the history of American culture †¦ , h e developed short fictions as a genre that was to have a major impact on American literature†¦ in nineteenth century† (May 5). Despite the huge amount short stories written and sold, Poe unsuccessfully tried to fix his financial situation. Poe s life experiencesRead MoreThe Life Of Edgar Allan Poe1666 Words   |  7 PagesThe Life of Edgar Allan Poe â€Å"Poets are shameless with their experiences: they exploit them.† ― Friedrich Nietzsche The life of Edgar Allan Poe s was short and mysterious - just like the lives of the heroes of his stories. And like his fictional heroes, Poe was passionate about painful, strange, gloomy existence of the human soul. The contradictory and unstable, inclined to extravagant whims and binges, he seemed to haveRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe : His Life Influenced His Work1093 Words   |  5 Pages Edgar Allan Poe: How His Life Influenced His Work Edgar Allan Poe was an American author known for his works of depression and misfortune. Throughout his lifetime, Poe would never gain fame. It was only after his death that the true genius of Edgar Allan Poe was discovered. Poe frequently used his life occurrences—as terrible as they were—to influence his writings. It is through his writings that one can delve into the mind of Edgar Allan Poe and discover how his life truly was. Edgar Allan PoeRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe Revlutionized Literature in the 19th Century665 Words   |  3 PagesEdgar Allan Poe revolutionized the literary world of the nineteenth century. Poe is a well-known author from the early 1800’s, who was part of the dark romanticism movement. While later in life he was a brilliant writer, Edgar Allan Poe faced many problems in his early life. Although Poe experienced death within his family at a young age, the hardships he encountered are thought to have influenced his dark writing style. These death inspired elements within Poe’s writing were ahead of their timeRead MoreEdgar Allen Poe’s Contribution to World Culture 1035 Words   |  5 PagesEdgar Allan Poes contributions to American literature have become increasingly more prominent as the years have passed. As short fiction has become a more accepted genre in literary circles, Poes theories are studied with more passion. Although he lived a rather melancholy existenc e, Poe did experience moments of joy, and desired to capture beauty through poetical form. He is also credited as the inventor of the mystery-fiction novel with short stories such as, â€Å"The Raven† and â€Å"Annabel Lee†. IndeedRead MoreEdgar Allen Poe: Birth and Military865 Words   |  4 PagesThe story of the 19th century Romantic era poet Edgar Allen Poe is an interesting one indeed. Throughout his life he played the role of a writer of short stories, an editor and critic of all works, and poet of emotion; revolutionizing each role through his extremely pragmatic style. As a writer, Poe wrote everything from love stories to comedies to horror stories, even inventing the detective mystery genre, and as a poet, he set out to use poetry to transmit and arouse the reader’s sense of beautyRead MorePoes Heart Essay1456 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poe is one of the most recognized prose poets, short story authors, and literary composers of all time. His works contain trending themes such as love, time, death and the concept of â€Å"oneness.† Poe often expressed these themes according to events that he had experienced, and some of his themes intertwined with others. Take for instance, his love for beauty and perfection played a major role in his concept of oneness, or state of absolute fulfillment. However in his short story, The Tell-Tale