Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe1809-18491809-1849

American WriterAmerican Writer Tortured geniusTortured genius master of horrormaster of horror father of the father of the

detective storydetective story literary criticliterary critic

BiographyBiography Father left when he was born, Father left when he was born,

mother died when he was mother died when he was three years oldthree years old

Adopted, but his adopted Adopted, but his adopted mother also died & he had a mother also died & he had a stormy relationship with stormy relationship with adopted fatheradopted father

Married his cousin; lived in Married his cousin; lived in Baltimore, NYC, Boston & Baltimore, NYC, Boston & PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia

Known for legendary drinking Known for legendary drinking bingesbinges

Pioneered the Gothic horror Pioneered the Gothic horror story, detective story and was story, detective story and was known as a literary criticknown as a literary critic

Fought w/ other famous Fought w/ other famous American writersAmerican writers

Supposedly died of alcohol Supposedly died of alcohol poisoning in a gutter in poisoning in a gutter in BaltimoreBaltimore

Historical ContextHistorical Context The early 19The early 19thth century was century was

known as “The American known as “The American Renaissance” in literatureRenaissance” in literature

For the first time, American For the first time, American writing moved away from the writing moved away from the religious texts of the Puritans religious texts of the Puritans and Revolutionary War textand Revolutionary War text

American writers now had a American writers now had a voice of their own voice of their own

Contemporaries: Ralph Waldo Contemporaries: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman MelvilleHawthorne, Herman Melville

Poe was an important Poe was an important contributor: 1contributor: 1stst American writer American writer of horror, suspense, and of horror, suspense, and mystery mystery

Poe’s Gothic Horror storiesPoe’s Gothic Horror stories Explores the dark Explores the dark

side of human side of human experienceexperience

Death, alienation, Death, alienation, nightmares, ghosts, nightmares, ghosts, haunting, graphic haunting, graphic violence and violence and insanityinsanity

American Gothic American Gothic portrays the guilty portrays the guilty conscience of a conscience of a culture plagued by culture plagued by poverty and slaverypoverty and slavery

Poe’s Detective StoriesPoe’s Detective Stories The word “detective” did The word “detective” did

not exist in English when not exist in English when Poe was writingPoe was writing

Poe was the first to create Poe was the first to create detective characters who detective characters who used psychoanalysis, the used psychoanalysis, the powers of reasoning and powers of reasoning and deduction to catch deduction to catch devious criminalsdevious criminals

Poe worked puzzles, word Poe worked puzzles, word games and secret codes games and secret codes into these storiesinto these stories

His character, C. Auguste His character, C. Auguste Dupin was copied by Sir Dupin was copied by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who Arthur Conan Doyle, who created Sherlock Holmescreated Sherlock Holmes

Poe as Literary CriticPoe as Literary Critic

One of America’s first One of America’s first popular literary criticspopular literary critics

His literary criticism His literary criticism made him a popular made him a popular speaker on the speaker on the lecture circuitlecture circuit

He often attacked He often attacked many other famous many other famous authors of his timeauthors of his time

After his death, many After his death, many writers attempted to writers attempted to ruin his reputation as ruin his reputation as revenge for criticismrevenge for criticism

Common ThemesCommon Themes Love & HateLove & Hate—Examined —Examined

how the two are not how the two are not opposites, but nearly opposites, but nearly the samethe same

Self vs. alter-egoSelf vs. alter-ego—The —The internal struggles we internal struggles we experience between our experience between our different personalitiesdifferent personalities

The Power of the DeadThe Power of the Dead—We often keep the —We often keep the dead alive through dead alive through memorymemory

InsanityInsanity—When faced —When faced with conflicts, we are with conflicts, we are pushed to madnesspushed to madness