...Edgar Allen Poe’s notorious drug and alcohol abuse combined with his dysfunctional and unsupportive family played a significant role in the development of Poe’s unique writing styles and topics. Edgar Allen Poe was born January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe was a British actress. His father, David Poe Jr. was an actor from Baltimore. Edgar Allen Poe had two other siblings, a brother named William and a sister named Rosalie. Poe did not have a close relationship with his parents; they were a part of his life for a short amount of time. His father abandoned his wife and children, a few years later Elizabeth contracted tuberculosis. (“Edgar Allan Poe.” Poetry Foundation.) She was the first of Poe’s many...
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...Poe Gothic Techniques “The socket of the lost eye presented, it is true, a frightful appearance, but he no longer appeared to suffer any pain,” (The Black Cat). Gothic literature uses many different techniques to give a reader a spooky or dark feel from a story. Edgar Allen Poe used ghost twin, dark and spooky setting, and unreliable narrator in his gothic literature stories. Poe used the gothic technique of ghost twin in his literature. In his story “The Black Cat”, he used this technique. “I approached it, and touched it with my hand. It was a black cat--a very large one--fully as large as Pluto, and closely resembling him in every respect but one.” Edgar Allen Poe is talking about a cat the narrator found in the den of his house. He had recently hung his own cat, Pluto, who was all black....
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...Fear an emotion that drives many people to insanity and disdain. Edgar Allen Poe is a well known Gothic literature author that was capable of introducing fear into his readers imagination through the use of three literary devices those being suspense, symbolism and Gothic elements. In "The Fall of the House of Usher" Poe utilizes suspense in order to bring forth fear in his writing. In the story the narrator states "Vigilae Mortuorum secundum Chorum Ecclesiae Maguntinae...the wild ritual of this work...of preserving[Lady Madeline's] corpse"(Poe 304). Now this embeds suspense into the readers thoughts because they in turn understand that the narrator is also in fear of the insanity his friend is experiencing due to the death of his beloved sister. Later in the story the narrator explains a meeting with Roderick Usher stating "his countenance was...wan...a species of mad hilarity in his eyes... evidently[restraining]hysteria"(306). Suspense is yet again brought into the picture with the narrators explanation of Usher. Roderick is described as...
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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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...The Fall of the house of Usher The Gothic style found in the majority of Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories is obvious to the average reader. The grotesque, the desolate, the horrible, the mysterious, the ghostly, and, ultimately, the intense fear are all the primary aspects of the stories which are emphasized. Edgar Allen Poe's autobiographical short story is the quintessential haunted house story featuring dreary scenes, mysterious sicknesses and untimely deaths. The vagueness of the story is the main part of its terror with its unidentifiable Gothic elements. It is not clear to the reader when or where the story takes place. Poe instead describes dark barren landscapes and inclement weather to set the mood. All the reader knows and understands is they are alone with the unnamed author and neither knows why. The unnamed author describes his mind and personality as he rides toward the somber house. He meets his own insanity, superstitions, and horror when he describes his boyhood friend Roderick Usher. Poe asks the reader to question Roderick's decision in contacting the unnamed narrator in his time of need as well as the unnamed narrator's response. Poe contrasts the standard form of the gothic tale, with a plot of inexplicable, unexpected interruptions. The short story begins without a reason for the narrator's arrival at the house and this uncertainty drives this short story's plot, which blurs into the real and fantastic. Roderick Usher shows his sanity slipping when he...
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...The Fall of the House of Usher “In the Fall of the House of Usher, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit.”(Poe). This story is Gothic Literature using grotesque characters, bizarre situations, and violent events. The narrator describes the grotesque or Roderick Usher Madeline Usher, the strange sounds, and the crashing of the house and the violent event of Madeline being buried alive. Inside the House of Usher there are two grotesque characters. Roderick Usher is a man with a corpse-like appearance. He has pale skin, thin lips, and bright eyes. He suffered from sensitive skin to certain textures, odors to flowers, his eyes were sensitive to light, only certain sounds sooth him and insipid foods. Madeline, Roderick’s sister...
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...elements of traditional Gothic fiction. Traditional Gothic fiction settings include decrepit medieval castles in isolated and dreary locales, such as the one portrayed in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", in which an unnamed narrator visits two physically and mentally ailing siblings and discovers that something among them is horribly amiss. In this story, setting contributes greatly to the mood, creating an air that can only be described as melancholic and dismal. It also holds a critical position in Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Is Here?", a story about a contemporary family living in an old house who let in a quite uncanny stranger, after which peculiar events begin to happen. In today's modern Gothic fiction, although it isn't set in the same bleak castles and moors, setting is equally as important....
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...Edgar Allen Poe was obsessed with cats and often wrote with a cat on his shoulder. One of his quotes where “I wish i could write as mysterious as a cat”(BrainyQuote.com). Poe was in the army and was a sergeant major until he was discharged. In 1848 after his wife’s death in 1847, Poe attempted to commit suicide by ingesting opiates. Due to the horrific experiences in his life had a lot to do with his writing style. Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston Massachusetts, January 19,1809 (Poets.org).Poe had a father and a mother who were both famous actors who died when Poe was three years old. As Poe got older he attended the University of Virginia (Poets.org).Soon after he was forced to leave because he was in gambling debt and John...
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... Edgar Allen Poe Born January 19, 1809 Edgar Allen Poe was an American author who was best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre. He was the second child of English born actress Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and actor David Poe, Jr. His elder brother was named William Henry Leonard Poe and he had a younger sister named Rosalie Poe. Edgar’s tales of mystery and horror initiated the modern detective story. The atmosphere in his tales of horror is unrivaled in American fiction. His book The Raven (1845) Numbers with the best-known poems in national literature. In his early days of his life Edgar Allen Poe caught the imagination and interest of readers worldwide, his talents led to the beginning of different literary genres, this gave him the nickname aka ‘’Father of the Detective story. Him being the son of two actors Edgar Allen Poe never really knew his parents. His father vanished from the family early in his life and his mother died when he was the age of 3. Parted ways from his relatives Poe went on to live with Frances and John Allan. John Allan was a successful tobacco seller and the lived in Richmond, Virginia. He formed a great bond with Ms. Allan but never understood John Allan. John Allan also had problems funding Edgar’s education at the University of Virginia in 1826 so in order to make ends meet Poe would gamble the difference, with that option turning on him he went into debt. Around the time of Poe joining the army he published...
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..."The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allen Poe, in 1839. In autumn of the year, it was a dull, dark, and soundless day. The unnamed narrator comes across "The House of Usher". The house of his boon companions in boyhood (friend), Roderick Usher. He observes upon the scene; the house is decaying in places. He received a letter from Roderick, requesting his company to come to the house. He spoke of a mental disorder, illness, and his desire to see him which allowed him to come with no hesitation. The unnamed narrator knew little about Roderick, but was unware that the Usher family is ancient and become "the perfect keeping of character of the premises" to confuses the people with their home. Roderick's sister, lady Madeline...
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...In my opinion, the setting of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is an essential tool to uncover the mood behind the story. Right away Poe jumps into descriptive detail: “During the whole of a dark, dull, soundless day… a singularly dreary tract of country.” The gloomy, overcast of the mist and fog that surround the House of Usher wash over the narrator which, in turn, seem to seep into the very depths of his soul. The narrator’s description of his surrounding as well as of the house itself convey to the reader a sense of danger and impending doom. However, the setting delivers more than just an image of a dreary countryside. I believe, as Poe states within the story, that the atmosphere is actually representative of how the...
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...based on the viewpoint of its narrator. The same story can be told by a different narrator and it will get a whole new meaning. The first person point of view in Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is used strategically to elevate the mystery and tension of the story, illustrating the importance of the theme: perspective. The same story told from a different perspective can have a completely different interpretation. Throughout the story, there are many clear differences between the narrator and Roderick Usher. These differences range from mental state, to family life, to character traits. It is these traits that shape the character into who the reader sees them as. The reader then sees the story from their perspective. The same story told from a different perspective can have a whole new meaning depending on how different the characters are. In the “Fall of the House of Usher” the two prominent characters are very different. Poe talks about the characters using such detail to allow the readers to...
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...Kayla Delury Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe’s writing is known throughout the world. He was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. Poe had an awful childhood. His Dad, David Poe, abandoned the family soon after Poe was born. His Mom, Eliza Poe, died two years later because of tuberculosis. After his mother’s death, his infant sister and brother were separated. His brother was sent to live with their biological grandparents. Poe moved to Richmond, Virginia to live with John and Fannie Allan; his sister was taken in by another family in Richmond. Poe and John Allan’s relationship suffered greatly making Poe having to make some hard decisions for his future. Poe attended the University of Virginia in 1926. He started gambling and became in debt. However, John Allen refused to pay leading Poe to withdraw from the University. Poe’s best known works include such masterpieces as Annabel Lee, The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Mask of the Red Death, The Murders of the Rue Morgue, and many others. Each and every one of these titles, share one common trait that is more than obvious, they all deal with death. When these titles of the books take over the attention, it is only normal that the main part of Poe’s work should see to be known as nightmares. Poe married Virginia Clemm, his thirteen year old cousin in, 1936. When Virginia died in 1947, Poe became depressed and lost his motivation in writing. In 1849, Poe became engaged to marry the widowed Sarah...
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...The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story by Edgar Allen Poe that details the remainder of Roderick Usher’s life with his mental disorder alongside the narrator and how his mental disorder affects him and those around him. The short story is a literal tale of Rodericks decent into insanity which is paralleled by the fleeting conditions of the house as well as causes supernatural occurrences at the end of the story as well as, the fall of the house of usher in two ways. In the beginning of the short story the reader finds out that the narrator and Usher were childhood friends and that the narrator was on his way to be with Usher upon his request. The narrator proceeds to describe the house detailing its macabre exterior as a “remodelled...
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...Roshonda Parker Dr. James H. Meredith English 2211 XTIAA April 25, 2014 1 .In the context of this poem and the other poems we read, what exactly do you think Bradstreet means here? (10 points) In the context of her religious situation, what does this poem say about her audience? In Anne Bradstreet’s Poem “The Prologue” The author is speaking out against the Puritans views on women and the roles they play in society at that time. In this era women were viewed as second class citizens. Women had no public influence the only time they could speak in public was to read the scriptures in church. In the following sentence “I am obnoxious to each carping tongue” the female author is saying that she ignores the negative and scornful remarks she hears from men concerning her literally talents. The Puritans strongly believed in Male Supremacy they feel that women primary roles are mothering children and should use their hands for domesticated work such as mending and sewing clothing. This is expressed in the following sentence “Who says my hand a needle fits”. Puritans men felt that women didn’t have enough intelligence to express themselves in writing therefore if a literally work was well written they would say it was stolen or a stroke of luck. Work Cited: Bradstreet, Anne. “The Prologue.” Baym, Nina. Anthology Of American Literature; Beginnings to 1820. 8th. A. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007. 208. Print 2. Find a specific passage in Mary Rowlandson’s A Narrative...
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